Prenatal Life Events, Maternal Employment, and Postpartum Depression across a Diverse Population in New York City

Community Ment Health J. 2018 May;54(4):410-419. doi: 10.1007/s10597-017-0171-2. Epub 2017 Oct 3.

Abstract

This study examined racial/ethnic disparities in three core postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms, and identified specific predictors of PPD including sociodemographic variables, life stressors and maternal employment. White, African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander women from the New York City area (n = 3010) completed the 2009-2011 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. African American women were less likely to have PPD than White women. Maternal employment during the postpartum was associated with an increased likelihood of PPD for White women relative to women who were not employed. Life stressors and maternal employment should be considered as culturally contextualized factors related to postpartum depression.

Keywords: Employment; Postpartum depression; Racial disparities; Stressful life events.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Depression, Postpartum / epidemiology*
  • Depression, Postpartum / etiology*
  • Employment
  • Ethnicity / psychology*
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Life Change Events
  • Logistic Models
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • New York City / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Racial Groups / psychology*
  • Racial Groups / statistics & numerical data
  • Risk Factors
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*
  • Women, Working / psychology
  • Young Adult