Association Between Heavy Menstrual Bleeding and Depression Among Women in South Asia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Objective: Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) - clinically defined as excessive menstrual blood loss that interferes with physical, emotional, social, and/or material quality of life - adversely affects health and functional outcomes among individuals who menstruate. However, the full extent of the relationships between HMB and health outcomes remains unknown, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To begin to fill this evidence gap, we investigated associations between HMB and depression symptomology among women in South Asia.

Study design: We carried out a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from household surveys conducted with 3,438 adult women between August 2021 and June 2022 in five cities: Meherpur and Saidpur, Bangladesh; and Narsapur, Tiruchirappalli, and Warangal, India. HMB was measured using the clinically validated SAMANTA scale, and depression symptomology was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Short Depression scale (CESD-10). Regression analyses examined associations between HMB and depression symptomology among our analytic sample of 2,564 women who had experienced a menstrual period in the previous 12 months.

Results: The prevalence of HMB was 45% across the pooled sample, with city-specific prevalences ranging from 41-46%. The median CESD-10 score was six (range: 4-29, out of a possible 30), with 30% of women scoring above the screening threshold for depression. Pooled analyses revealed a significant association between HMB and increased CESD-10 scores (β: 0.07; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.12) and a 15% increased risk of a binary depression outcome (95% CI: 1.03, 1.29) among women with HMB. City-level analyses showed variability in the strength and significance of these associations, with some cities demonstrating stronger associations than others.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the significant burden of HMB on women's mental health in South Asia. Addressing HMB as part of comprehensive women's reproductive health care is crucial for improving overall well-being. The study underscores the need for further research to explore the mechanisms linking HMB and depression, and to develop effective interventions tailored to the specific needs of women in different contexts. Understanding these relationships can provide healthcare providers and policymakers with evidence to better support women's health and mental well-being.