Midwives' perceived barriers in communicating about depression with ethnic minority clients

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the most influential barriers midwives perceive in communicating about depression-related symptoms with ethnic minority clients.

Methods: In-depth interviews were held with midwives (N = 8) and Moroccan-Dutch women (N = 6) suffering from perinatal depression to identify the most salient communication barriers. Subsequently, an online survey among midwives (N = 60) assessing their perceived barriers and the occurrence of these barriers in practice was administered. Composite scores using the QUOTE methodology were calculated to determine influential barriers.

Results: Three types of barriers emerged from the interviews. Educational-related barriers, client-related barriers and midwife-related barriers. Results of the survey showed that the most influential barriers were educational-related barriers (e.g. lack of culturally sensitive depression screening instruments) and client-related barriers (e.g. cultural taboo about talking about depression).

Conclusion: Culturally sensitive screening instruments for depression and patient education materials should be developed to mitigate the educational-related barriers to communicating about depression. Patient education materials should also target the clients' social environment (e.g. husbands) to help break the cultural taboo about depression.

Practice implications: Based on this study's results, communication strategies to empower both midwives and ethnic minority clients with depression can be developed in a collaborative approach.

Keywords: Barriers; Culture; Ethnic minorities; Health communication; Midwifery; Perinatal depression.