“Everything Is Greyscaled”: Immigrant Women’s Experiences of Postpartum Distress

Abstract

Postpartum distress increases the risk of developing mental disorders over a woman’s lifespan. Although immigrant women experience a high rate of postpartum depression, we know very little about the psychosocial experiences of postpartum distress in immigrant populations. No theories have been developed to account for the intersection of cultural and maternal transitions or the relationship of this dual transition to postpartum distress. Therefore, this study aims to generate a conceptual model for describing immigrant women’s experience of and social-psychological responses to postpartum distress. This study uses grounded theory to conduct and analyze interviews with 22 Chinese immigrant women who experienced postpartum distress. During their dual transitions, participants encountered many losses significant to their psychological self. The conceptual model of greyscaling and reviving the psychological self provides pathways to respond to these losses, assesses the pathways’ impact on experiencing distress, and offers strategies that resolve distress.