Emotional Well-Being of Childbearibg Women: A Comparision of Nationals and Foreign Brides in Taiwan

Abstract

Abstract :This study surveyed a total of 236 Taiwanese and 44 foreign-born Vietnamese women in four antenatal clinics located in Pingtung County, the southern part of Taiwan. Participants provided demographic details and completed various standardized measures, including Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC), Social Support (SSA), Rosenberg Self-Esteem (RSE), General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS, a antenatal version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale; EPDS). Six weeks after birth, all eligible participants completed follow-up questionnaires including the Child Care Stress Checklist (CCSC) and the same set of scales used antenatally (SSA, GHQ-12, DASS-21, and EPDS). The Vietnamese and Chinese versions of each scale were provided as appropriate. Participating women with EPDS scores of 13 or more were classified as having probable depression. According to this classification, the prevalence rate of antenatal depression among foreign born Vietnamese women was higher (31.8%) than that observed in their Taiwanese counterparts (17.3%), the difference between the two cohorts was statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U test = 2574, Z = -2.84, p < .01). During the postnatal period, nearly 26% of Vietnamese mothers and 24% of Taiwanese mothers had probable postnatal depression (PND). The mean EPDS scores among postnatal Vietnamese mothers was slightly higher than that of Taiwanese mothers (9.96 ± 4.40 vs. 9.09 ± 5.60), but the difference was not significant (Mann-Whitney U test, p > .05). For Taiwanese women, several antenatal variables were found to contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. These included mixed feelings towards the pregnancy, Difficult Life Circumstances (DLC), social support (SSA), self-esteem (RSE), and psychological distress (DASS-21 & GHQ-12). At 6 weeks postpartum, positive statistical associations between antenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms were found. In addition, women experiencing more childcare stress (CCSC) and more psychological distress (DASS-21 & GHQ-12) were more likely to develop PND. There was a negative association between social support (SSA) and PND. Overall, these four variables; antenatal depressive symptoms, GHQ-12, CCSC, and SSA, explained 68% of variance of PND and similar results were found for Vietnamese women. In comparison with Taiwanese nationals, Vietnamese women showed lower scores for social support (SSA) and higher scores on DLC, CCSC, DASS-21, and GHQ-12 both during pregnancy and the postpartum. This study provides valuable insights into the emotional well-being of childbearing Taiwanese women and a small cohort of new immigrant women in Taiwan. The thesis highlights the difficulties of recruiting and engaging minority groups in social research. Barriers related not only to language but their status in the community, dependence on their spouse, and difficulty accessing health care services. Results of the current study provide an understanding of the experiences and perceptions of contemporary birthing women in Taiwan and highlight the difficulties experienced by immigrant women in that country. The findings of this study should prompt health care providers to undertake careful assessments of expectant mothers for depression and related problems, as well as offering prevention and intervention activities to promote maternal psychological well-being.