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In this study, Chinese primiparous women had a moderate level of MSE and received a moderate level of social support at six and 12 weeks postnatally, and a higher proportion of Chinese women had postnatal depression symptoms than did women in Western countries. From six to 12 weeks postnatally, the mean MSE scores and social support scores had a statistically significant increase; the mean EPDS scores had a statistically significant decrease.

obstetric nurses and women's family members need to be aware of the significant contribution of social support, women's satisfaction with 'Doing the month' in positively influencing primiparous women's MSE, and the significant effect of postnatal depression symptoms in negatively impacting on first-time mothers' MSE; they should pay more attention to primiparous women with less education, unemployed mothers, women with unskilled occupations, women with an unhealthy baby, and women with a baby with a difficult temperament to improve their comparatively lower MSE levels during the initial postnatal period.

Postnatal depression (PND) impacts on the mother and her partner, the family, mother-baby interaction and on the baby. This review synthesises the evidence from qualitative and quantitative research to determine whether screening for PND is acceptable to women and healthcare professionals. The research literature was systematically searched to retrieve articles available until February 2007. No language or geographical restrictions were applied. Studies were included if the acceptability of PND screening was assessed during the prenatal and postnatal period. Data were synthesised using the textual narrative approach. Fifteen of the 16 eligible studies focused on the acceptability of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Screening for PND was generally found to be acceptable to women and healthcare professionals, although aspects of its administration were identified as being important. Specifically, a woman needs to feel comfortable about the screening process if she is to answer the questions honestly. This may be facilitated through forewarning and administration by a trusted person in her own home. Healthcare professionals need to be aware of differing cultural attitudes towards answering the questions, and the ambiguity of the question about self-harm. Further research into the acceptability of strategies other than EPDS is needed.

Background: Multi-attribute utility measures are preference-based health-related quality of life measures that have been developed to inform economic evaluations of health care interventions. The objective of this study was to compare the empirical validity of two multi-attribute utility measures (EQ-5D and SF-6D) based on hypothetical preferences in a large maternity population in England.

To assess women's views on the acceptability of and satisfaction with non-pharmacological interventions to reduce the symptoms of anxiety in pregnant women. A systematic review and narrative synthesis (Prospero protocol number CRD42015017841). Fourteen included studies were conducted in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, UK and USA. Interventions were cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness, yoga, psychological assessment, supportive and educational based interventions. Studies included women from general antenatal populations and women with anxiety or depression symptoms or risk factors for anxiety or depression. The findings were limited due to the small number of studies evaluating different types of interventions using various study methods. Some studies had too little procedural reporting to allow a full quality assessment. Women's views on the acceptability of and satisfaction with interventions were overwhelmingly positive. The review highlights women's motivations for and barriers to participation as well as the benefit women perceived from peer support and individual discussions of their situation. Interventions need to be further evaluated in randomised controlled trials. The inclusion of women's views and experiences illuminates how and why intervention components contribute to outcomes. Women's initial concerns about psychological screening and the benefit derived from peer support and individual discussion should be noted by providers of maternity care.

Aim “Doing the month” has been a traditionally postnatal practice that women follow for one full month after giving birth. The aim of this study was to explore Chinese primiparous women's experience of “Doing the month” and why Chinese women felt satisfied or dissatisfied with the experience. Methods This was a descriptive survey using open and closed questions. In total, 420 Chinese primiparous women were recruited in obstetric wards at three hospitals in Xiamen City, China. Baseline questionnaires were distributed to the participants face‐to‐face by the researcher on the postnatal ward at 3 days’ postnatally. Follow‐up questionnaires of “Doing the month” were sent via email by the researcher to the participants at 6 weeks’ postnatally and were returned by the participants via email. The quantitative data were analyzed with SPSS and the qualitative data were analyzed by using a thematic text analysis. Results Most of the women thought that “Doing the month” after childbirth was necessary. Some women felt satisfied with “Doing the month” because their family helped them to have a good rest, they felt a sense of achievement when taking care of their baby, and that having an appreciative attitude helped them to get along with the older generations. In contrast, some women felt dissatisfied with “Doing the month” because of being tired of following taboos, having conflicts with their mother‐in‐law, the lack of family help and care, and undue expectations of “Doing the month.” Conclusions In order to improve postnatal care for Chinese primiparous women, health professionals could be more aware of how health care needs to be customized to fit the special tradition of “Doing the month.”