Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41390391›Full record

ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2025

"Lost in translation?": A qualitative exploration of digital perinatal mental health resource use among migrant women.

Areni Altun, Melissa Oxlad, Rochelle Hine, Andrea Reupert, Shameran Slewa-Younan, Delaram Ansari, Levita D'Souza, Shazia Syed, Malavika Kadwadkar, Helen Skouteris and 1 more

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In one paragraph

Article in International journal for equity in health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Areni AltunEastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3128, Australia. areni.altun@monash.edu.ORCID 0000-0001-9981-1011
Melissa OxladSchool of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
Rochelle HineSchool of Rural Health, Monash University, Bendigo, Australia.
Andrea ReupertSchool of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Shameran Slewa-YounanTranslational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Delaram AnsariMulticultural Centre for Women's Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Levita D'SouzaSchool of Educational Psychology & Counselling, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Shazia SyedEastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3128, Australia.
Malavika KadwadkarEastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3128, Australia.
Helen SkouterisSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Jacqueline A BoyleEastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3128, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDigital platforms such as websites play an increasingly important role in supporting perinatal mental health, yet their reach, cultural responsiveness, and effectiveness among women of migrant backgrounds remain under-explored. This study aimed to understand how women from diverse migrant communities engage with five digital perinatal mental health resources and to identify factors influencing their access, engagement, and overall experiences.

methodsWe conducted qualitative analysis of user interactions with five digital perinatal mental health platforms. Data were drawn from focus groups and individual interviews with women from Chinese, Arabic and Indian-language speaking backgrounds. Thematic analysis was guided by iterative coding to derive key themes and sub-themes reflecting barriers, facilitators, and user engagement patterns among migrant mothers.

resultsFour overarching themes were identified. Participants highly valued access to content in their first language but frequently encountered confusing translations, hidden language options, and complex navigation, which discouraged sustained engagement even when content was relevant. Visual and audio formats such as videos and podcasts were preferred over text-heavy content, particularly when paired with culturally representative imagery and accessible language options, while tokenistic visuals and overly clinical website designs were viewed as less appealing. Digital resources were often introduced late in the perinatal journey, typically postpartum, when many women already felt overwhelmed. Participants recommended earlier and more frequent integration of these tools during antenatal care, facilitated through trusted professionals encountered throughout the perinatal period, such as general practitioners, midwives, and maternal and child health nurses. While digital tools provided privacy, convenience, and a sense of emotional safety, particularly when accessed via mobile phones, persistent inequities in digital literacy, internet access, and device availability continued to limit equitable use.

conclusionsWhile digital perinatal mental health resources offer valuable support, their uptake by women from migrant communities is limited by systemic failures to account for language diversity, cultural relevance, and poor integration into routine care pathways. Enhancing accessibility requires multilingual and culturally responsive design, early promotion through trusted providers, and strategies to mitigate digital disparities. Co-designed, inclusive digital resources may strengthen engagement and support perinatal mental health equity for migrant communities.

Indexed as

Mental Health ServicesPerinatal CareTransients and MigrantsAdultDigital HealthDigital MediaFemaleFocus GroupsHumansPregnancyQualitative ResearchDigital equityHealth equityMental healthMigrant womenPerinatal health

Identifiers

PMID41390391
PMCPMC12752332

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.