Gringafied Pregnant Latinas More Prone To Depression Than “Unacculturated” Pregnant Latinas

A study involving Latinas (predominantly or solely Mexican and Mexican-American) seeking pre-natal health care in Texas showed that those who had been “Americanized” were more prone to depression. The study focused on lower-income pregnant women who sought care at public health clinics. According to Marivel Davila, who led the research initiative, the women were divided into two groups based on whether they asked for medical help in English or Spanish, with English-speakers placed in the “assimilated, acculturated” group:

“Recent immigrants tend to be healthier than those who have been here for longer periods of time or those who are U.S. born she said.”

Davila said officials will have to study the results to determine why the differing levels of depression exist, but she has some ideas.

“The Mexican born women were more likely to be married, and that in and of itself is a predictor of depressive symptoms,” she said.

Personally, we’re depressed just thinking about marriage and pregnancy. Sigh. Time to put on a gray sweatshirt and sit beside a rain-streaked window.

She said Mexican women were more likely to be part of more closely knit family structures, and come from a culture where ‘pop culture and advertising’ does not suggest that you should be happy every minute of every day, or there’s something wrong with you.

This news isn’t particularly surprising to us, but we still get the ironic disconnect between increased depression in a society that, ostensibly, has more rights and opportunities for women and more resources to “find happiness.” We do think the U.S.’s brand of happiness is just that -a brand, something to be purchased, but not really practiced or worked on or cultivated. Happiness, here, doesn’t seem to require effort.

Then, you know, we have to wonder just how they’ve decided to define depression in this study. Is just a lack of happiness? A striving for, but not an achievement of, happiness? It gets tiring to hear people, time and time again, wrap themselves in the blanket term “depression” when what they really mean is “I’m bored” or “I’m uninspired” or “I’m constipated.”

What say you, happy shiny people? Does “Americanization” = Salty tears flavoring your Happy Meal?

Study: “Americanized” Hispanic Women More Prone to Depression [CC-Common]