Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Dec 2:8.
doi: 10.18332/ejm/194682. eCollection 2024.

Challenges and facilitators to perinatal mental healthcare among first-generation migrant women: A qualitative ethnographic study in Flanders, Belgium

Astrid Claerbout  1 , Jade Steppe  1 , Gilissen Joni  1   2   3 , Liesbeth van Kelst  1
Affiliations

Challenges and facilitators to perinatal mental healthcare among first-generation migrant women: A qualitative ethnographic study in Flanders, Belgium

Astrid Claerbout et al. Eur J Midwifery. .

Abstract

Introduction: Women with a migration background face significant barriers to accessing perinatal mental health support. This study aims to explore the needs, barriers and facilitators regarding perinatal mental health support in women with a first-generation migration background and how they experience support within their own community.

Methods: We conducted qualitative in-depth face-to-face interviews with mothers who gave birth within 12 months preceding the interview, recruited from an Antwerp maternity ward between August and September 2022. Three midwife researchers conducted interviews at the participants' home, using an interpreter if needed. A midwife researcher with relevant expertise reviewed the final manuscript. Two researchers independently performed qualitative inductive content analysis and constant comparison of audio transcripts using NVIVO.

Results: Of the 11 participants, none reported mental health issues at the time of the interview. However, four mothers shared experiences indicative of postnatal depression, highlighting significant challenges such as isolation, language barriers, and a lack of awareness about mental health support. Recurring themes included the importance of professionals taking the time and making efforts to provide accessible information, navigating language barriers, differences in participants' openness toward discussing mental health, the importance of having a close network available for psychological support, and practical aspects inhibiting access. Overall, participants reported a desire for more culturally sensitive care and information about available support.

Conclusions: Findings underscore the urgent need for tailored perinatal mental health support that is easy to access, emphasizing awareness and training for professionals, especially midwives, to meet diverse needs. Recognizing this population's variety is essential.

Keywords: health literacy; immigration; mental health; perinatal care.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have completed and submitted the ICMJE Form for disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest and none was reported.

References

    1. Report on the health of refugees and migrants in the WHO European Region: no public health without refugee and migrant health. World Health Organization. February 12, 2018. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/report-on-the-health-of-refugees...
    1. Abubakar I, Aldridge RW, Devakumar D, et al. . The UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health: the health of a world on the move. Lancet. 2018;392(10164):2606-2654. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32114-7 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fair F, Soltani H, Raben L, et al. . Midwives’ experiences of cultural competency training and providing perinatal care for migrant women a mixed methods study: Operational Refugee and Migrant Maternal Approach (ORAMMA) project. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021;21(1):340. doi:10.1186/s12884-021-03799-1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Migration. United Nations Population Fund. Updated December 23, 2015. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.unfpa.org/migration
    1. Global Research Agenda on Health, Migration and Displacement: Strengthening Research and Translating Research Priorities into Policy and Practice. World Health Organization. October 30, 2023. Accessed October 15, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789240082397

LinkOut - more resources