Mental health status in pregnancy among native and non-native Swedish speaking women : a Bidens study

Objectives. To describe mental health status in native and non-native Swedishspeakingpregnantwomenandexploreriskfactorsofdepressionandposttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms. Design and setting. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted at midwife-based antenatal clinics in Southern Sweden. Sample. A non-selected group of women in mid-pregnancy. Methods. Participants completed a questionnaire covering background characteristics, social support, life events, mental health variables and the short Edinburgh Depression Scale. Main outcome measures. Depressive symptoms during the past week and PTS symptoms during the past year. Results. Out of 1003 women, 21.4% reported another language than Swedishastheirmothertongueandweredefinedasnon-native.Thesewomenwere more likely to be younger, have fewer years of education, potential financial problems,andlackofsocialsupport.Morenon-nativespeakersself-reporteddepressive, PTS,anxietyand,psychosomaticsymptoms,andfewerhadhadconsultationswitha psychiatristorpsychologist.Ofallwomen,13.8%haddepressivesymptomsdefined by Edinburgh Depression Scale 7 or above. Non-native status was associated with statistically increased risks of depressive symptoms and having ≥ 1P TS symptom compared with native-speaking women. Multivariate modeling including all selectedfactorsresultedinadjustedoddsratiosfordepressivesymptomsof1.75(95% confidenceinterval:1.11‐2.76)andof1.56(95%confidenceinterval:1.10‐2.34)for PTS symptoms in non-native Swedish speakers. Conclusion. Non-native Swedishspeaking women had a more unfavorable mental health status than native speakers. In spite of this, non-native speaking women had sought less mental health care. Abbreviations: aOR,adjustedoddsratio; EDS,EdinburghDepressionScale; EPDS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; OR, odds ratio; PTS, posttraumatic stress.