FREQUENCY OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AND ITS PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES AMONG WOMEN RECEIVING ANTENATAL CARE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KARACHI

  • Rekhan Rekhan Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi
  • Nighat Ali Shah
  • Amber Tahir
  • Mehar Masood
  • Tanzila Fahim
  • Washdev Washdev
Keywords: Anxiety, Birth Intervals, Depression, Gynaecology, Intimate Partner Violence, Pregnancy, Maternal Health, Tertiary Care Centres

Abstract

Objective
To determine the proportion of women suffering from antenatal depression and anxiety visiting a tertiary care hospital for routine antenatal visits to evaluate the psychosocial factors associated with their depression and anxiety.

Study Design
A descriptive cross-sectional study

Place and Duration
Department of Gynaecology & Obstetrics Ward 9B,   Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Karachi from January 2024 to May 2024.  

Method
This study was conducted with 249 pregnant women via non-probability, consecutive sampling. Anxiety and depression were assessed using Urdu validated version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Psychosocial stressors were also recorded. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 23.0.

Results
In this study, 20% of women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancies were anxious and 5% were depressed. Critical psychosocial factors included low education, marital stressors such as low social support from husband and/or in-laws, living separately from husband, and intimate partner violence, financial stressors such as husband unemployment and pregnancy-related factors such as unplanned pregnancy and narrow birth spacing.

Conclusion
The study provides a significant burden of antenatal mental health issues in our region and their specific associated psychosocial factors. The study emphasizes upon the need for Biopsychosocial support systems and interventions to mitigate the risk of antenatal depression and safeguard maternal well-being during this critical period.

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Published
2024-09-28
How to Cite
1.
Rekhan R, Ali Shah N, Tahir A, Masood M, Fahim T, Washdev W. FREQUENCY OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AND ITS PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES AMONG WOMEN RECEIVING ANTENATAL CARE IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN KARACHI. J Pak Psychiatr Soc [Internet]. 2024Sep.28 [cited 2025Jan.21];21(03):8-12. Available from: https://jpps.pk/index.php/journal/article/view/775