Perinatal mental disorder—a cultural approach

Abstract

This review endeavours to bring together aspects of perinatal and transcultural psychiatry—both subjects have been central to the author's research and clinical work for two decades. It is argued that if a comprehensive understanding of perinatal mental disorder is to be obtained then a cultural approach is necessary. The observations of social anthropologists that postnatal rituals and taboos are less common in Western than in non-industrialized societies, and that lack of social support may predispose to postnatal depression (PND) are described. There is a need for transcultural studies to investigate further these plausible hypotheses using qualitative as well as quantitative research methods