Digital Commons Network^™

Postpartum Social Support Experiences Of Black Mothers With Depression During Covid, Brooke Dipetrillo

Public Health Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Social support is a protective factor against depression (Szkody et al., 2020). Current social support literature within the western epistemology of research failed to include the voices of Black mothers to provide a meaningful cultural context within which to view this protective factor (Spates, 2012). The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated adversities, including maternal depression, which is experienced disproportionately among Black mothers (Bailey & Moon, 2020; Farewell et al., 2020). Research within Black communities indicates the importance of social networks (e.g., extended kin) (Hunter et al., 2019). However, this literature does not focus on Black mothers living with depression …