Abstract
Background: This study examines the prevalence and determinants of perinatal depression among migrant women on the Thai-Myanmar border. Methods: A cohort of labour migrant and refugee women was followed-up from the first trimester of pregnancy to one month post-partum. Depression status was assessed in the first, second and third trimesters and at one month post-partum using a structured clinical interview. Outcomes: A sample of 568 women was recruited. Period prevalence of moderate-severe perinatal depression was 18.5% (95% CI 15.4-21.9%). Overall, 15.4% (95% CI 11.8-19.6%) of women developed new-onset moderate-severe depression during the study period. Risk factors were interpersonal violence (OR 4.5; 95% CI 1.9-11.1); history of trauma (OR 2.4; 95% CI 1.4-4.3); self-reported history of depression (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.2-4.2); labour migrant status (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-4.0); low social support (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1-3.7); and maternal age (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.0-1.1). Interpretation: Perinatal depression represents a significant burden among migrant women on the Thai-Myanmar border. Programmes to address the determinants along with early case identification and effective treatment and referral systems are key to addressing perinatal depression in this low-resource setting. Funding Statement: SMRU is part of the Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit funded by the Wellcome Trust (WT-106698). Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no conflict of interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Ethical approval was granted by the University of Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee (OxTREC 28-15), the Mahidol University Faculty of Tropical Medicine Ethics Committee (TMEC 15-045) and the Tak Border Community Advisory Board (T-CAB 6/2/2015).
Highlights
Perinatal depression is a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality globally
Risk factors were interpersonal violence; history of trauma; self-reported history of depression; labour migrant status; low social support; and maternal age
Perinatal depression represents a significant burden among migrant women on the Thai-Myanmar border
Summary
Perinatal depression is a significant contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality globally. Migrant women, those living in low- and middle-income settings, represent a vulnerable group due to stressors experienced before, during and after migration. Untreated perinatal depression has been associated with a number of significant adverse outcomes including negative health behaviours in pregnancy [1], subsequent chronic and recurrent depression [1, 2], impaired ability to work and provide care, relationship breakdown [2, 5] and suicide – an important contributor to maternal deaths globally [6, 7]. Migrant women constitute a particular risk group, experiencing many of the risk factors for perinatal depression prior to, during and following displacement [8,9,10]. Forced displacement is often associated with particular challenges, even planned migration can cause significant distress through separation from families and friends, isolation, lack of host language proficiency, discrimination and violence [10,11,12]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
