DISCOVER POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IN ASIAN COMMUNITIES
THE INSPIRATION, THE PURPOSE
As a Asian American, university student who has yet to experience childbirth, the idea of postpartum depression was foreign to me until this year. In fact, I have only been introduced to conversations of mental health when I began attending University. After researching postpartum depression for my internship, I realized that there was very limited research regarding postpartum depression in the Asian Community and none about the effects of postpartum depression for Asian men. Therefore, I began to reach out and have conversations with other Asian Americans as well as friends and family and was surprised to find out that many individuals around me had experienced postpartum depression and had kept their experiences completely silent.Â
The purpose of this website was to create a safe space for Asians to come together online to receive information and learn more about a serious health epidemic that remains unspoken about. Originally, I contacted various organizations, churches, reached out to family and friends of families trying to compile interviews with the end purpose of creating a podcast. However, individuals who originally agreed to be interviewed later contacted me expressing their doubts on having their experiences made public, the language barrier and fear of friends and families finding out.
Although originally, these responses were disappointing, I realized that these rejections were the perfect representation of how postpartum depression is regarded in the Asian American community. The lack of responses and completed interviews due to fear of negative response and stigmas is the exact reason that many within Asian communities do not reach out and receive help. If there is no safe space to have these conversations, men and women will never feel safe to receive help.
Declined to give interview after learning information would be shared
Vietnamese::Age Mid-50s::Two Kids::Eastern United States of America
Declined to give interview after scheduling issues and learning interview would become public
Chinese American:: Age 43::Two Kids::Eastern united States of America
Had you ever heard of postpartum depression?
No, I never heard of postpartum depression before
How did you learn you had postpartum depression?
After, several years later, I read articles on postpartum depression and I realized what I went through was that depression because I went through same symptoms.
What symptoms did you experience?
Emotionally, I felt very sad and angry easily. Especially at my husband. Physically, I was really exhausted and I kept feeling sick and tired.
Did you visit medical professional to receive help?
No, after giving birth, I would go to check up on the baby but I never went to check my own health with the doctor. Actually, I had a C-section and the doctor just checked for the follow up for my surgery but never asked about my emotional things.
Were you able to talk to anyone: friends or family?
No, at that time, I didn't realize it was kind of symptom of postpartum depression. I just thought it was my temporary emotional roller coaster or just because of something in my life changed so I just kept it to myself. I didn't feel quite right to talk about it with others
Why did you it not feel right to talk about it with others?
It's just some private thing. And also my mother and father and brother tried to help me take care of baby and telling them that I feel very sad or angry is not good virtue to them. I don't want to give them another excuse or another things to worry about on top of taking care of baby. Taking care of myself is the job of myself or my husband. At the time I thought like so all my sadness and madness was towards my husband at that time. I didn't realize it was due to the depression I went through and I didn't know how to get help from him and so I just outburst my emotion to him.
Was your husband able to help?
He didn't know. I didn't know that what I was feeling was postpartum depression. So he didn't know how to help or how to encourage. So he didn't know and I didn't know how to deal with what I was feeling.
Korean::Age 46::Three Kids::Western United States of America:: October 2019
Declined to give interview after learning interview would be held in English and the possibility of family finding the interview.
Taiwanese:: Age 51::One Kid::North Eastern United States of America::
Declined to give interview after learning that friend would not follow through with interview.
Korean:: Age 44::One Kid:: Eastern United States of America
Had you ever heard of postpartum depression?
Yes, I had heard people talking about having depression after childbirth and I realized I was depressed after having children.
What are some of the symptoms you experienced?
I was sad and didn't have many people to talk to. I did not have family around me when giving childbirth. So I feel bad physically and sick and just felt very sad.
Did you receive professional help?
No I did not. It eventually went away, and it came back with every time I was pregnant. I had three children and I had postpartum depression each time but I did not get help.
Did you reach out to family? Friends?
No I did not. I was not able to talk to friends or family because I did not want to make a big deal out of it. I thought it would be better for me to think positively and pray it goes away. I did not want to bother my family and friends. I thought maybe because I am a recent immigrant it made it harder for me.
Chinese-American::Age 49::Three Kids::Eastern United States of America:: November 2019
Declined to give interview due to language barrier.