Development of culturally appropriate materials to address maternal depression among Vietnamese women

Depression is the leading cause of disability among reproductive-age women and presents major risks to child health and development. Based on focus groups and in-depth interviews with Vietnamese women, we have learned that depression is prevalent among Vietnamese mothers but that stigma and lack of understanding about mental health issues are barriers to addressing emotional health issues in this population. In this presentation we will present the process used to develop a culturally-specific education brochure focused on maternal depression. Our goal was to improve mental health literacy and, thereby, strengthen community capacity to support maternal mental health. The first objective in the development process was to ground brochure content in a recognized cultural tradition. We selected the infant's “Đầy Tháng” ceremony, which occurs when the infant is a month old. Our second objective was to ensure that the brochure was relevant to the broader Vietnamese community. We targeted family members whose opinions impact mothers' willingness to acknowledge depressive symptoms. We included the perspectives of the husband and mother-in-law and presented their views on an equal par with the mother's experience. Our third objective was to make the visuals culturally appropriate. We will present results from an extensive community-based validation process. We used a semi-structured questionnaire to obtain feedback from mothers, husbands, community elders and influential community members. We are gathering feedback on key concepts, visual presentation, and language. It will be incorporated into the final product which will be distributed at health centers and community agencies in the Boston community.