Frequency and associated factors for anxiety and depression in pregnant women: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

ScientificWorldJournal. 2012:2012:653098. doi: 10.1100/2012/653098. Epub 2012 May 2.

Abstract

Antepartum anxiety and/or depression is a major public health problem globally. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of antepartum anxiety and/or depression among pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a tertiary care hospital among pregnant women. A total of 165 pregnant women were interviewed by a clinical psychologist using HADS for assessing anxiety and/or depression and also collected information regarding sociodemographic, obstetric, family relationships, and home environment. Out of the total of 165 pregnant women about 70 percent of them were either anxious and/or depressed. The increasing age of women (P-value = 0.073), not having any live birth (P-value = 0.036), adverse pregnancy outcome in past including death of a child, stillbirth or abortion (P-value = 0.013), participant's role in household decision making (P-value = 0.013), and domestic violence (verbal or physical abuse towards mother or children by any family member) (P-value = 0.123). Our study highlights that anxiety and/or depression is quite common among pregnant women. Therefore, there is a need to incorporate screening for anxiety and depression in the existing antenatal programs and development of strategies to provide practical support to those identified.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Anxiety / diagnosis*
  • Anxiety / epidemiology*
  • Comorbidity
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Depression / diagnosis*
  • Depression / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Pakistan / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / diagnosis*
  • Pregnancy Complications / epidemiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Assessment
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Young Adult