Postpartum depression and related psychosocial variables in Hong Kong Chinese women: Findings from a prospective study

Sharron S.K. Leung*, Ida M. Martinson, David Arthur

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

81 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Research on predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) in Hong Kong (HK) Chinese women is scant. A prospective study with 385 HK Chinese postpartum women was conducted to identify correlations between PPD and demographic variables, and antenatal depression and psychosocial variables, and to determine which of these variables were predictors of PPD. Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), we classified 19.8% of participants as postnatally depressed. Fifty-six percent of the variance in PPD was explained by social support and stress factors. However, social support factors accounted for only a small percentage of that variance. The major predictors were antenatal depression, postnatal perceived stress, and childcare stress. HK women may benefit from a culturally appropriate intervention focused on reducing stress in the postpartum period.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)27-38
Number of pages12
JournalResearch in Nursing and Health
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2005

Scopus Subject Areas

  • General Nursing

User-Defined Keywords

  • EPDS
  • Hong Kong Chinese women
  • Postpartum depression
  • Social support
  • Stress

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