Ethnically Diverse Mothers’ Views on the Acceptability of Screening for Maternal Depressive Symptoms during Pediatric Well-Child Visits

The under-identification of depressive symptoms among low-income, minority women contributes to disparities in mental health outcomes. Pediatric visits offer a new venue for the identification of such symptoms. We explored women’s views related to depression screening during pediatric well-child visits in interviews conducted with 42 mothers of diverse ethnicities. Women considered their child’s pediatric provider to be an appropriate person with whom to discuss their emotional health and were aware of the inter-relationship between their mood and their child’s well-being. Thus, they felt discussing their emotional health was an acceptable component of pediatric health care. Stigma and fear of child protective services were concerns. Women articulated strategies to improve acceptability of screening, including providing a clear rationale for screening, services available, and child protective service involvement. The perspectives of women of diverse ethnicities provide information that may improve identification of mothers with depressive symptoms and potentially reduce disadvantages in mental health outcomes in minority populations.