No Estas Sola: the Development of an Educational Support Group for Latina Women at Risk for Postpartum Depression
Abstract
Women of childbearing age are emigrating from Latin America to the United States in exceedingly large numbers. Many of them have had severe traumatic experiences before, during, and /or after their journey. Once arriving in the United States, they encounter many psychosocial barriers to health care. These circumstances put many immigrant Latina women at high risk for developing postpartum depression (PPD) yet there is a surprising lack of culturally specific resources to meet the growing need. The purpose of this project is to address this care deficit through the development of an educational support group in a large Midwestern metropolitan area with a growing Latino population. The group, entitled //o Estds Sola or You Are Not Alone, will provide culturally specific information on all aspects of postpartum depression with the hope that dealing with some of the risk factors such as depression during pregnancy as well as raising awareness of PPD within a group setting will decrease the incidence of this preventable disease. Madeleine Leininger's Theory of Culture Care Diversity and Universality will support the development of No Estas Sola.