The Experience of Perinatal Depression and Implications for Treatment Adaptation: A Qualitative Study in a Semi-rural District in Vietnam

Abstract

This study sought to provide an understanding of how perinatal depression is experienced, and how interventions targeting it should be adapted to suit the local context. The study was conducted in a semi-rural district in Vietnam. It comprised of individual interviews with nine women who obtained high scores in a depression selfreport measure during pregnancy, two focus group discussions (FGDs) with health workers from the local community health stations, and two FGDs with elderly women from the local community. Interviews addressed the experience of depression during pregnancy and FGDs addressed the perceptions of depression and the suitability and provision of a mindfulness intervention. Interventions targeting perinatal depression should take into account the particular social aspects that may be intimately linked to its causation and course. The causation of depression was deemed to be predominantly social, including problems between family members and son preference. The mindfulness intervention was thought suitable for the local context. Delivery through well-supported community meetings was recommended. A locally adapted intervention is thus deemed suitable for the local context, and could be provided as a component of a stepped-care model for depression treatment. The results of this study may not be generalizable beyond the group studied, or the context of Ba Vi, Vietnam.

Perinatal mental distress in a rural Ethiopian community: a critical examination of psychiatric labels

“…Consistent with other qualitative findings, the dangers of pregnancy and birth were identified as prominent sources of worry during the prenatal period [14,16,45] and the risks faced by the baby as a major cause of concern postnatally [14,36]. These concerns are experienced by mothers in HICs too [28] but they are surely reinforced in settings with higher rates of maternal and infant mortality [49], and are likely exacerbated by the clustering of maternal and infant deaths among families of lower socioeconomic status within LMICs [50].…”

“…Physical health issues were also important factors in explanatory models of perinatal mental distress. Poor physical healthwhether caused by malnutrition, illness, or childbirthwas seen as a significant contributing factor to perinatal mental distress, echoing findings from studies in other low-resource settings [14,36,[44][45][46]. Symptoms of physical ill-health may be both cause and manifestation of perinatal mental distress, as previously reported in the literature.…”

Life situation and support during pregnancy among Thai expectant mothers with depressive symptoms and their partners: a qualitative study

“…It may be difficult for the individuals to change drinking behaviour on their own. As this matter is a cause of perinatal depression, it should be taken into consideration by the society [29].…”

Emotional violence and maternal mental health: a qualitative study among women in northern Vietnam

“…Even though previous studies, conducted both in Vietnam and elsewhere, have found that domestic tensions and household conflicts increase women’s risks of perinatal mental health problems [ 32 , 33 ], few studies have pointed to the systematic arrangements of kinship - in the form of patrilineality and patrilocality – that underlie abusive marital relations and shape the impact of such strained relations on women’s lives. Our findings indicate that the time has come to pay closer attention – in research, policy, and health care programming – to the impact of kinship patterns on women’s everyday lives, including on their experiences of partner violence and their capacities to handle such violence.…”