A qualitative study of the postpartum experience of Chinese women living in England

作者：Lam Erica; Wittkowski Anja^*; Fox John R E

来源：Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 2012, 30(1): 105-119.

DOI：10.1080/02646838.2011.649472

• postnatal experience
• postnatal depression
• Chinese community sample
• qualitative study
• grounded theory
• women

Objective: to explore the postnatal experiences of Chinese women living in Manchester, including the factors that contributed to their thoughts and feelings. Background: Chinese culture embraces some unique postnatal traditions, which can create conflict but also increase support for Chinese mothers. This study is the first to investigate Chinese women's postnatal experiences in the UK. Methods: In this qualitative study eight mothers were interviewed. They spoke either both Chinese and English or Chinese only. Grounded theory was used to analyse the interview transcripts. Results: Two main themes of distress were identified: isolation and conflict. The women's preferred spoken language and cultural norms determined the extent and nature of their distress. All mothers felt some degree of isolation during their early motherhood, especially when they felt unsupported by local services and family members. Chinese-speaking mothers felt more isolated, whereas bilingual mothers described more conflict, which they attributed to cultural differences with peers, as well as the role of their mother-in-law and that of traditional cultural practices. In addition, the absence of a strong parenting model seemed to be a mediating factor. Conclusions: These findings could promote understanding and provide insight into the potential expression of postnatal depression in Chinese women.

• 出版日期2012