Publication Date

Spring 2025

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Tamara H. McKinnon

Keywords

Immigrant mental health, Perinatal depression, Home visitation, Public health nursing

Abstract

Screening for perinatal depression is a recommended strategy aimed at prevention and timely management of mood disruption in pregnancy and the postpartum (ACOG, 2024). Screening for perinatal depression is often integrated in evidence-based home visitation curriculums. The aim of this qualitative descriptive quality improvement project was to explore perceptions of perinatal depression among immigrant mothers engaged in nurse home visitation to identify barriers, if any, to disclosure and treatment of perinatal depression among a group at increased risk of developing perinatal depression (Gennaro, S., et al, 2016). Immigrant mothers residing in a large urban county in the San Francisco Bay Area, receiving perinatal care and engaged in an evidence-based, nurse led home visitation program were recruited. Data was collected from eligible participants through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed utilizing thematic analysis, revealing four main themes (1) suffering (in silence) (2) isolation (3) fear and (4) lack of support. These findings revealed that, despite receiving perinatal care and engaged with regular nurse-led home visitation services, immigrant mothers are depressed in the perinatal period either because they are not screened or are fearful in disclosing their depression and mental health needs when they are screened. Perinatal depression among immigrant mothers engaged in home visitation is thus impacted at a critical stage, disclosure of symptoms, impacting the goals of screening practice recommendations and targeting of mood disorders in pregnancy and the postpartum. Nurses in home visitation are encouraged to anticipate and consider factors that impact depression screening responses and barriers to disclosure among their patients, especially immigrant mothers, to promote optimal perinatal mental health outcomes.

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