Submission ID 131570
| Issue/Objective | Postpartum mental health concerns can arise within the first year after childbirth and significantly impact both maternal and family well-being. In Canada, racialized mothers may face a disproportionate burden of these challenges due to a variety of intersectional and structural factors. Despite this, the literature examines how these shape postpartum mental health outcomes remain limited and has not been comprehensively synthesized. This scoping review aimed to map the existing evidence on postpartum mental health among racialized mothers in Canada to inform future policy and support more effective mental health care practices. |
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| Methodology/Approach | This review is in accordance with the scoping review framework outlined by Arksey and O'Malley. A comprehensive search strategy was developed with a subject-specialist research librarian and implemented across four electronic databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and Cochrane Library). Eligible sources were limited to English-language publications addressing postpartum mental health (within one year of childbirth) among racialized mothers in Canada. Protocols and conference abstracts were excluded. Peer-reviewed records were imported into Covidence and independently screened by two reviewers. Data were narratively synthesized. |
| Results | Of the 638 studies screened, 24 peer-reviewed studies were included. Findings from the included studies were categorized into four key themes: 1) Burden of mental health concerns on racialized mothers; 2) Risk and protective factors impacting the mental health of racialized postpartum mothers; 3) Maternal perceptions of mental health and; 4) Utilization and experiences of mental health services among racialized mothers. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | This review highlights persistent inequities in postpartum mental health outcomes and care access among racialized mothers in Canada, driven by structural factors and broader social determinants of health. Addressing these disparities requires policy action, including culturally informed, prevention-oriented services, strengthened community-based support, and ensuring that pathways of assessment are responsive to diverse expressions of distress. This review also identified key gaps in the literature, including limited Canadian research evaluating interventions tailored to racialized mothers and a lack of non-academic literature. Expanding knowledge generation beyond academic settings and strengthening contributions from community-based providers will be essential to informing effective, accessible postpartum mental health supports. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Saima Hirani University of British Columbia Savitha Balachandran University of British Columbia Rubee Dev University of British Columbia Rishika Selvakumar University of British Columbia Kayoung Lee University of British Columbia Sara Sunderji University of Alberta Teerka Baskaran Queen's University Michelle Carter St Paul's Hospital Annette Browne University of British Columbia Savitha Balachandran University of British Columbia |
