Dr. Meekyung Han is a Professor, School of Social Work, San José State University, San Jose, CA. Dr. Deepika Goyal is a Professor, The Valley Foundation School of Nursing, San José State University, San Jose, CA. Dr. Goyal can be reached via e-mail at
MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2020 Jan/Feb;45(1):42-48. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000585.
Postpartum depression (PPD) affects one in seven women in the United States. Korean Americans are one of the six largest Asian American (AA) subgroups, representing 9% of the AA population in the United States. Women of Asian descent have not always been represented in studies of PPD.
The purpose of this study was to understand postpartum experiences, perceptions of PPD, and mental health help-seeking among Korean women living in the United States.
Individual, face-to-face, semistructured interviews of Korean immigrant women, over age 18, who were able to read, write, and speak English or Korean, and who had given birth to a live infant within the past 12 months, were conducted using a qualitative exploratory design. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyze qualitative data The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screening Scale (EPDS) was used to assess frequency of depressive symptoms over the past week.
Eleven women participated. Total EPDS scores ranged from 2 to 17 (mean 6.5, SD = 3.2); three women had scores indicating a high risk for developing PPD. Two overall themes, postpartum experiences and perceptions of PPD and professional help-seeking, along with several subthemes were identified. They included postpartum challenges, importance of keeping Korean postpartum traditions, desire for professional Korean postpartum care, "Sanhoo-Joeri" postpartum support and social networking, normalization of PPD symptoms, family first for health seeking attitude and behavior, and stigma attached to mental health care.
Nurses working with Korean women during postpartum can provide culturally competent care by assessing postpartum care needs, respecting cultural practices, and providing resources such as Korean postpartum care centers Sanhoo-Joeriwon, which can be found in major U.S. cities with large Korean communities (e.g., Los Angeles), and in-home postpartum care providers, Sanhoo-Joerisa. Nurses should be comfortable educating women about normal signs and symptoms of PPD and those requiring immediate medical follow-up.
产后抑郁症（PPD）影响了美国七分之一的女性。韩裔美国人是美国六个最大的亚裔美国人（AA）群体之一，占美国 AA 人口的 9%。在 PPD 的研究中，亚裔血统的女性并不总是被代表。
本研究旨在了解居住在美国的韩国女性的产后经历、对 PPD 的看法以及寻求心理健康帮助的情况。
采用定性探索性设计，对 18 岁以上、能够阅读、书写和说英语或韩语、并且在过去 12 个月内生育过活婴的韩国移民女性进行个人、面对面、半结构化访谈。采用主题分析方法对定性数据进行分析。使用爱丁堡产后抑郁量表（EPDS）评估过去一周的抑郁症状频率。
共有 11 名女性参与。总 EPDS 得分为 2 至 17 分（平均 6.5，标准差=3.2）；3 名女性的得分表明有患 PPD 的高风险。确定了两个总体主题，即产后经历和对 PPD 的看法以及寻求专业帮助，以及几个子主题。它们包括产后挑战、保持韩国产后传统的重要性、对专业韩国产后护理的渴望、“Sanhoo-Joeri”产后支持和社交网络、PPD 症状的正常化、家庭优先考虑健康寻求态度和行为以及心理健康护理的耻辱感。
与韩国女性在产后期间合作的护士可以通过评估产后护理需求、尊重文化习俗以及提供资源（例如在美国拥有大型韩国社区的主要城市中可以找到的韩国产后护理中心 Sanhoo-Joeriwon 和家庭产后护理提供者 Sanhoo-Joerisa）来提供文化上合适的护理。护士应该能够舒适地教育女性关于 PPD 的正常迹象和症状以及需要立即进行医疗随访的症状。
