Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Antenatal Depression among Pregnant Women Attending Tertiary Care Hospitals in South India.

Background: Antenatal depression (AND) is a common mood disorder that affects both the mother and the child.

Objective: The current study is aimed at identifying the prevalence of antenatal depression and the risk factors associated with it in South Indian pregnant women.

Materials and methods: The current study was carried out in a tertiary care teaching hospital where pregnancy and postnatal care are offered. In the study, 314 pregnant women who visited the antenatal clinic for their prenatal checkups were included. To diagnose possible depression, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used. The chi-square test was applied to determine the association between antenatal depression and various socioeconomic, obstetric, and medical factors. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant confounding variables.

Results: Of the total 314 women, 69 (21.98%) were suffering from possible depression with the mean EPDS score being 10.61 ± 7.48. Women of younger age had greater risks for depression than older women (AOR = 2.01; 95% CI: 0.56-7.20). Maternal age (χ ² = 0.013, p = 0.009) and the presence of health issues during the current pregnancy (χ ² = 5.18, p = 0.023) were the factors significantly associated with antenatal depression.

Conclusions: Clinical efforts should focus on screening antenatal depression, early identification, and effective care, thus preventing progression to postpartum depression and its detrimental effects.