Protective Factors Against Depression and Anxiety Among Latinas and Spanish-Speaking Women

Despite the high rates of perinatal depression and anxiety among Latinas and Spanish-speaking women both in and outside the United States, this population possesses impressive protective factors that can be leveraged by the community, clinicians, and investigators. This chapter highlights several protective factors to help identify the strengths of Latinas and Spanish-speaking women and their communities. It also incorporates the role of partners or family as protective factors against perinatal depression. The chapter includes cultural understandings of worry or clinically meaningful anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, including the content of worries for Latinas/Spanish speakers across contexts.