Antenatal depression in coastal South India: Prevalence and risk factors in the community

Antenatal depression is a highly prevalent disorder with serious implications on maternal and child outcomes. There are few studies examining this in low-middle-income community settings.

To determine the prevalence of antenatal depression in women from a coastal rural background in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and to determine its associated factors.

In this cross-sectional community-based study, in 202 antenatal women, standard interview and diagnostic criteria (Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R)) were employed for identifying depression and examining a wide range of putative clinical and sociocultural risk factors including domestic violence.

There was a 16.3% prevalence of depression among the 202 women sampled. The possible risk factors after stepwise backward regression were pressure to have a male child, 11.48 (2.36-55.78); financial difficulties, 8.23 (2.49-27.22); non-arranged marriage, 6.05 (1.72-21.23); history of miscarriage-still birth, 5.77 (1.55-21.43) and marital conflict, 9.55 (2.34-38.98).

There is a need to develop strategies for recognition and appropriate intervention for antenatal depression, in the context of locally relevant risk factors, so as to improve both maternal and child outcomes.