Health Literacy of Healthcare Providers and Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Perinatal Women in British Columbia: A Critical Ethnography

Abstract

Aims This research explores how health care providers determine the mental health needs of immigrant women in the perinatal phase of childbirth. The contextual factors that affect the mental health of these women and influence their engagement with the British Columbian communities in which they reside are investigated. Method Using a critical ethnographic approach, eight health care providers were interviewed to gain insight into health care provider’s health literacy and immigrant perinatal women’s mental health. Each participant was interviewed for 45–60 min in the period from January to February 2021 to obtain relevant data. Results Three themes emerged from the data analysis: the health care provider’s role and his/her health literacy, the health literacy of the participant, and the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the participant’s situation. Conclusions The findings indicate that a healthy working relationship between the health care provider and an immigrant woman in the perinatal phase of childbirth is essential to facilitate an effective interchange of health information.