Achieving Semantic Equivalence between the Chinese and English Versions of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale

Achieving Semantic Equivalence between the Chinese and English versions of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale

Postpartum depression is a major depressive mood disorder that occurs within four weeks after delivery and can last as long as a year. Anxiety, panic, obsessive compulsive disorders, and post-traumatic stress syndrome may exist as co-morbid phenomena. The prevalence of postpartum depression is between 10%-20% of all childbirths in the United States. When postpartum depression is undetected and untreated, adverse outcomes affect not only the postpartum woman but also other family members. The Asian population's projected growth will be 37.6 million by 2050 from 10 million in 2000. The Chinese are the largest Asian subgroup in the United States. For Chinese immigrant postpartum women in the United States language is a barrier to detecting postpartum depression and accessing care. The purpose of the poster presentation is to present the process of adapting the English version of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS) into Chinese to achieve semantic equivalence. The use of the Chinese version of the PDSS would initiate a dialogue between Chinese postpartum mothers and their nursing and medical providers to identify a potential mental health concern that may be missed. When there is recognition of postpartum depression then appropriate interventions can be initiated and adverse outcomes can be prevented in this vulnerable population.