The significance of a western woman's social supports to postnatal depression is well documented. This study examined which deficits in components of their social support network are associated with postnatal depression in women from a non-English-speaking background. The social support network and postnatal mood of 105 Anglo-Celtic, 113 Vietnamese and 98 Arabic women living in Australia were assessed at 6 wks postpartum. The role of social supports in determining scores on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was analyzed using multiple regressions. For Anglo-Celtic women, low postnatal mood was associated with perceived need for more emotional support from partners and mothers. For Vietnamese women, low postnatal mood was associated with poor quality of relationship with the partner and a perceived need for more practical help from him. For Arabic women, low postnatal mood was associated with perceived need for more emotional support from partners.