2002 International International Biennial Scientific Meeting

COMPARISON OF THE USE OF THE EPDS WITH VIETNAMESE WOMEN ACROSS THREE SITES: URBAN VIETNAM, RURAL VIETNAM AND AUSTRALIA

Jane Fisher*, Anna Whelan**, Stephen Matthey*** and Bryanne Barnett***

* Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne
** School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney
*** Paediatric Mental Health Service,South West Sydney Area Health Service, Sydney

Stephen.matthey@swsahs.nsw.gov.au

Objectives: To compare the use of the translated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) with Vietnamese women in three settings: Urban Vietnam, Rural Vietnam and Urban Australia.

Method: The presenters conducted three separate studies investigating postnatal depression in the postpartum period with Vietnamese women. One study (investigator JF) was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City (urban Vietnam) with over 500 women; another study (investigator AW) was conducted in the Mekong-Can Tho Province (rural Vietnam) with 200 women; the third study (investigators: BB and SM) was conducted in South West Sydney (urban Australia) with 100 women. All three studies used a Vietnamese translation of the EPDS. This had been validated against diagnostic criteria for depression in the Australian study, and was used in the rural Vietnamese study. With one difference it was also used in the urban Vietnam study.

Results: Rates of high scores on the EPDS were similar in the two Vietnam samples of women, and were significantly higher than in the Australian sample. Differences in the translations of the EPDS will also be discussed, with particular reference to Question 10 (the self-harm question).

Conclusions: The possible reasons for the discrepant rates between the Vietnamese and Australian samples will be discussed. In particular, differences in the quality of life for women in the two countries could be an explanatory variable, as could differences in willingness to express negative emotions.

The difficulties in gaining consensus on what are considered to be acceptable translations of mental health instruments will also be discussed.