Postpartum Practices and Depression Prevalences: Technocentric and Ethnokinship Cultural Perspectives

Abstract

Reports of non-Western prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) are highly variable. This variation may indicate that the label of PPD may be unacceptable in some groups or not used, that manifestations may vary by culture, or that cross-cultural diagnostic standards do not match Western clinical criteria. These factors complicate efforts to explore the relationship of postpartum traditional practices to PPD between Western and non-Western cultures. Although Stern and Kruckman viewed PPD as a culture-bound phenomenon of Western culture, an expanding international literature has demonstrated that PPD occurs in a variety of countries. To address these issues, the authors examined the literature to describe cultural postpartum traditions, to explore possible relationships among practices and PPD prevalence, to critique the culture-bound theory, and to discuss clinical practice implications.