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Indigenous Women’s Stress and Postpartum Depression

Discussions from the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey and Indigenous Maternity Narratives

Bibliographic Data

ID19565823
AuthorsJennifer Leason (0000-0002-3903-7279, University of Calgary, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume16
Issue2
Publication date2021-01-25
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Indigenous Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2291-9368 • E-ISSN: 2291-9376
PublisherUniversity of Toronto Libraries - UOTL (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.32799/ijih.v16i2.33180
OpenAlexW3130866392
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

This doctoral research highlights Indigenous women’s experiences of stress and postpartum depression (PPD) through secondary quantitative analysis of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (2009) and qualitative Indigenous maternity narratives. Indigenous women’s responses to the survey demonstrate that Indigenous women experience 1.9 times higher odds of PPD and are 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with depression prior to pregnancy, compared to Canadian women. Indigenous women are also 1.3 times as likely to experience higher levels of stress and 3.3 times as likely to experience three or more stressful life events. While the survey demonstrates higher rates of stress and PPD, it is not culturally or contextually relevant. Therefore, Indigenous maternity narratives from 10 Indigenous mothers in 2015 further contextualize experiences of stress and PPD to include narratives related to adverse social determinants of health and impacts of colonialism. The research includes a discussion on the limitations of previous maternity research and the limits of clinical-medical assessments and diagnosis of stress and PPD in Indigenous populations. The research concludes with recommendations for additional maternity experiences research and ways to support Indigenous women, infants and children, birth partners, families, and communities

Art · Biology · Ethnology · Geography · Indigenous · Narrative · Postpartum depression · Pregnancy · Psychiatry · Sociology · Gender Studies · History · Indigenous Health, Education, and Rights · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum · Medicine · Psychology · Ecology

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    Open Access•Diane Simon, Muna Aden et al.•Wellbeing Space and Society•2025

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    Calvin J Hobel, AMY GOLDSTEIN et al.•Clinical Obstetrics & Gynecology•2008

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  • Qualitative Methods for Health Research

    John Green, Judith Green et al.•Qualitative Methods for Health…•2018

  • Conversation Method in Indigenous Research

    Open Access•Margaret Kovach•First Peoples Child & Family…•2020

  • The Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS)

    Open Access•Brenda Colley Gilbert, Holly B Shulman et al.•Maternal and Child Health Journal•1999

  • Factors Associated with Perceived Stress and Stressful Life Events in Pregnant Women

    Open Access•Dawn Kingston, Maureen Heaman et al.•Maternal and Child Health Journal•2010

  • Decolonizing Methodologies

    Linda Tuhiwai Smith•Decolonizing Methodologies•2021

Citations per year1
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Highly citedNo

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