Table 3.

Review findings and CERQual grading for theme 3 ‘support needs’

Review finding	Contributing papers	Supporting quote	CERQual grade*
Social support/isolation Several women mentioned feelings of isolation given their separation from extended families. Many women mentioned feeling lonely or homesick, and sometimes even depressed with no relatives nearby. Women contrasted with how things would have been back home with the support and help of broader networks, including family. In some cases, women turned to people who came from their same countries/regions, church or other communities, or work, or even hiring people to help them through the different stages of care. Women from one study mentioned they would want more support in caring for their newborn from their husbands as was customary in their new country home. Some women sought their social support from healthcare providers, especially during home visits. Others mentioned multicultural mothers’ groups in the postnatal period as sources of social support which provided them an opportunity to connect with others	20 studies: Chu,43 Davis,10 DeSouza 200567, Grewal et al,61 Higginbottom et al,48 Hoang et al,11 Hoban and Liamputtong,49 Kim et al,28 Lam et al,50 Lee et al,65 McLeish,51 Phillimore,53 Phanwichatkul et al,70 Qureshi and Pacquiao,63 Renzaho and Oldroyd,56 Riggs et al,54 Sami et al,57 Shafiei et al,74 Stewart et al,77 Wikberg et al76	‘I gave birth on Thursday morning and my husband went back to work the following Monday. So I stayed at home alone with my newborn baby. I did all the housework although I felt sick and I was not well enough, but I still had to do everything in the house. I could not look after myself at all’. (Hoban and Liamputtong49 immigrants from Cambodia in Australia) ‘My employer took me to the hospital. She helped me carry the baby. She knew the health providers and could manage the document jobs better. When I went back home, she took me in her car’ (Phanwichatkul et al70 immigrants from Myanmar in Thailand) ‘They should offer some support for the first couple of days at home, or even follow up by simply calling on the phone’ (Stewart et al77 immigrants from two African countries in Canada)	High
Mental health support Women had differences in perception on mental and emotional health support. Some women did not feel comfortable speaking about these issues with providers, while others welcomed the support provided by healthcare workers, with some identifying this as a new concept which they felt was important. Others would have liked more mental health support but felt providers were not willing or able to provide it. Many of the women had complex emotional and mental health needs, including fear about being refused asylum and deported back to the countries and trauma experienced during their migration process	13 studies: Chu,43 Higginbottom et al,47 Lam et al,50 McLeish,51 Riggs et al,54 Shafiei et al,62 Shafiei et al,74 Skoog et al,78 Stewart et al,77 Taniguchi et al,79 Ta Park et al,72 Willey 2020,80 Yelland et al59	‘The midwives and nurses were the best emotional supports for me during the entire time because I was going through the toughest phase of my life. The maternal and child health nurse calls me at home to check that everything is OK … she has not only been a verbal support for me but has linked me with support services’. (Yelland et al59 immigrants from Afghanistan in Australia) ‘I used to talk to my maternal and child health [nurse] … she’s so kind and very nice indeed, she always told me if you feel down sometimes, if you want to talk, I’m a good listener. I talked to her … at least I feel better, you know, when I was talking to her I felt better at that time’. (Shafiei et al74 immigrants from Afghanistan in Australia) ‘Oh, I was actually very happy that someone cared. It’s the first time that someone outside, a stranger, has asked me these questions. It was actually great and special. I’ve never experienced in a new country that a stranger with another language, there are many differences, but despite that when I was asked those questions, I was actually very happy’. (Skoog et al78 immigrants from several countries in Sweden)	High
Information needs Need for information was highlighted by several participants including lack of information on how services worked; others felt overwhelmed by the amount of information and felt confused as to what to focus on. This also included information sharing using social media and platforms as well as accompaniment with mental and emotional support on arrival to the new country. Women from one study focused on the importance of the information, especially for those unfamiliar with the language, culture and customs of the host country	7 studies: Akhavan and Edge,41 Hoang et al,11 Lam et al,50 Phillimore,53 Renzaho and Oldroyd,56 Riggs et al,54 Stewart et al77	‘I got no information about support available’ (Phillimore53 immigrants from several countries in the UK) ‘For example, how should I do things while I was in pain. She gave me medical information’ (Akhavan and Edge41 immigrants from several countries in Sweden)	High

*High, moderate, low, or very low.