Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Aug 11;42(6):513-518.
doi: 10.1177/0253717620928440. eCollection 2020 Nov.

Antenatal Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a Tertiary Hospital in South India

Suvarna Jyothi Kantipudi  1 , G K Kannan  2 , Sushma Viswanathan  1 , Sumathi Ranganathan  1 , Jayakumar Menon  1 , Sathianathan Ramanathan  1
Affiliations

Antenatal Depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in a Tertiary Hospital in South India

Suvarna Jyothi Kantipudi et al. Indian J Psychol Med. .

Abstract

Background: Antenatal depression is associated with several adverse maternal outcomes, perinatal outcomes, lower academic achievements in adolescence, and future mental health problems for the mothers. Early identification and effective treatment of depression in antenatal women can also improve perinatal outcomes.

Aim: This study aims to understand the prevalence of antenatal depression and anxiety disorder, along with associated factors, among antenatal women attending the outpatient clinic of the obstetrics department in a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed for determining the prevalence, while a case-control framework was used for analysis of the associated factors. Semi-structured sociodemographic pro forma, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Tamil version, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Tamil version were administered to antenatal women after obtaining informed consent. Those who scored above 10 points on the PHQ-9 or above 9 points on the GAD-7 were interviewed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) diagnostic interview schedule, by a psychiatrist, for confirming the diagnosis.

Results: In our sample, 22% of the participants were diagnosed with depression, and 23% with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Twenty-eight participants (13.4%) had both depression and GAD. Antenatal depression was associated with alcohol use in the spouse (P < 0.015), physical violence (P < 0.026), low perceived social support from the in-laws (P < 0.039), and pressure to have a male child (0.001). Antenatal GAD was associated with low perceived social support from the in-laws (P < 0.039) and pressure to have a male child (P < 0.041).

Conclusion: The occurrence of depression and generalized anxiety disorder is high in antenatal women. Our study identified relevant psychosocial factors that may be potential targets to develop effective interventions.

Keywords: Depression; antenatal women; cross-sectional study; social factors.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

References

    1. Herrman H, Saxena S, and Moodie R.. Promoting mental health: concepts, emerging evidence, practice. A report of the World Health Organization, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse in collaboration with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and The University of Melbourne. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005: 288 p.
    1. Rahman A, Patel V, Maselko J, et al. The neglected ‘m’ in MCH programmes—why mental health of mothers is important for child nutrition: the neglected ‘m’ in MCH programmes. Trop Med Int Health; 2008. Mar 3; 13(4): 579–583. - PubMed
    1. Fisher J, Cabral de Mello M, Patel V, et al. Prevalence and determinants of common perinatal mental disorders in women in low- and lower-middle-income countries: A systematic review. Bull World Health Organ; 2012. Feb 1; 90(2): 139–149H. - PMC - PubMed
    1. George C, Lalitha ARN, Antony A, et al. Antenatal depression in coastal South India: prevalence and risk factors in the community. Int J Soc Psychiatry; 2016. Mar; 62(2): 141–147. - PubMed
    1. Chandran M, Tharyan P, Muliyil J, et al. Post-partum depression in a cohort of women from a rural area of Tamil Nadu, India. Incidence and risk factors. Br J Psychiatry J Ment Sci; 2002. Dec; 181: 499–504. - PubMed