Have you or someone you know suffered from postpartum depression? We already know that Asian American women are often under-diagnosed when it comes to mental health, and postpartum depression is no exception. The period after childbirth is exciting and confusing for many new moms, but for Asian women there is sometimes the additional pressure of wanting to appear like everything is great, especially when the grandparents are so overjoyed or when there are cultural traditions to follow.
I’m excited to share with you a new initiative: Our friends at Postpartum Progress have a new initiative to improve support and inclusion of women of color and underserved communities. But in order to do that, they need to know about YOUR experiences and what YOU need.
From Postpartum Progress:
We’ve spent the last month developing a survey that we hope will help us gain some insight into what women of color experience with their mental health during pregnancy and postpartum, levels of awareness & education on postpartum mood disorders, cultural stigma, and barriers to treatment you’ve faced.
Over at Postpartum Progress, they have a survey created by Denise Carter from Emory University’s Rolllin’s School of Public Health, with input from founder Katherine Stone, based on her personal experience with PPD and anxiety. Denise is currently getting her Master of Public Health in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education. She also has a Bachelor’s in social work, with minors in non-profit management and African-American studies. She has extensive experience and a passion for helping women of color care for and improve their mental health.
Honestly, there isn’t a lot of information about postpartum depression or anxiety among AAPI women. The one study from 2012 that I was able to find reports that Asian American women have markedly lower rates of PPD than white women, but it’s unclear whether this is because of people aren’t reporting it, they’re not getting diagnosed, or they’re simply not seeking mental health care.
I hope to see a lot of Asian American moms representing our stories and experiences in the survey! The survey is confidential and your identity will not be tracked, so please share your honest experiences and opinions so that we can all work together to help each other.
Take the Minority Engagement Survey
If you have questions, please contact addyeb@icloud.com or denise.carter02@gmail.com
For more perspectives on postpartum depression in the Asian American community check out:
A Culture of Emotional Restraint: An Asian American Mom Shares Her Perspective on PPD at Postpartum Progress
Smiling Selfies and Other Lies on Hyphen Magazine