Perspectives on mental illness stigma among African immigrant pregnant and post-partum women in an urban setting: a brief report

Purpose: This study assessed the perspectives of pregnant and post-partum African immigrant women on mental illness. Methods: We conducted a focus group session (N=14) among pregnant and postpartum African immigrant women in June 2020. We used an inductive driven thematic analysis to identify themes related to mental health stigma. Results: Five core themes emerged: conceptualization of mental health, community stigmatizing attitudes, biopsychosocial stressors, management of mental health and methods to reduce stigma. Conclusion: Understanding the perspectives of pregnant African immigrant women at the intersection of their race, ethnicity, gender and migration is necessary to improve engagement with mental health services.