Postnatal Depression and Its Associated Factors in Women from Different Cultures

authors:

avatar Fatemeh Abdollahi 1 , avatar Munn-Sann Lye 2 , * , avatar Azhar Md Zain 3 , avatar Sazlina Shariff Ghazali 4 , avatar Mehran Zarghami 5

Department of Public Health, College of Health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Faculty Member of Community of Health Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
Department Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
Department of Psychiatry and Research Centre for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences: Vol.5, issue 2; 5-11
published online: December 31, 2011
article type: Review Article
received: February 10, 2010
revised: June 04, 2011
accepted: August 18, 2011

how to cite: Abdollahi F, Lye M, Md Zain A, Shariff Ghazali S, Zarghami M. Postnatal Depression and Its Associated Factors in Women from Different Cultures. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci. 2011;5(2): 5-11. 

Abstract

Objective: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common health problem which affects women in the postpartum period. This is a brief note on its associated factors in women from different cultures.
Methods: A literature review was performed in MEDLINE and Pubmed from 1991 to 2008 and Magiran from 1991 to 2009. Additional articles and book chapters were referenced from these sources.
Results: The prevalence of postpartum depression has been reported to be from 0.5% to 60% globally, and from 3.5% to 63.3% in Asian countries, in which Malaysia and Pakistan had respectively the lowest and highest rates. One of the factors contributing to PPD in Asian societies can be that women may not have the empowerment to reject traditional rituals that are imposed on them by their caregivers. Unsatisfactory preexisting relationships between the mothers and their caregivers resulting in mothers experiencing difficulties during their confinement period may be another factor. Thirdly, some features of these traditional rituals may be the cause of tension, stress and emotional distress. Emotional conflicts caused by insistence on practice of traditional rituals during the postpartum period may lead to mental breakdown.
Conclusion: Health care professionals should be aware that the phenomenon in Asian cultures is as prevalent as European cultures. Moreover, further research needs to be conducted on the global prevalence of the experiences of childbearing women with depressive symptoms.
Declaration of Interest: None.
Citation: Abdollahi F, Lye MS, Md Zain A, Shariff Ghazali S, Zarghami M. Postnatal depression and its associated factors in women from different cultures. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci 2011; 5(2): 5-11.

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