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A Study on Mental Health Status among Pregnant Women and the Social Factors Influencing
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Context: Pregnancy is often considered as the golden period in woman's life. There are physical as well as mental stress faced by them during that period, while apparent physical problems are often addressed but the challenges related to mental health often go undiagnosed.
As a matter of fact, in India nearly 10-41% of women suffer from depression during gestation which causes significant morbidity for mother as well as the child.
Objectives:
1) To assess the mental health status among pregnant women.
2) To study the influence of social factors on their mental health.
Settings and Design: Study Design: Cross-sectional, Descriptive study.
Duration of study: 6 months (Jan 2011 to June 2011)
Participants: 300 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic of Chigateri General and Bapuji Hospital, Davangere.
Method and Material: Goldberg's 6 item general health questionnaires were used as a screening tool for the presence of mental illness. Hamilton's rating scales were used for the confirmation of anxiety and depression. A standard pre tested questionnaire was used to assess the social factors.
Statistical analysis used: Univariate analysis, Multiple logistic regression
Results: 300 pregnant women participated in the study. 150(50%) women were in the age group of 22 to 26 years. 204 (68%) women were mentally ill. Out of these 204 women 120(59%) were suffering from depression, 40(20%) were having anxiety and 44(21%) were having anxiety with depression. Bad obstetric history, type of family, associated illness, domestic violence and addiction of alcohol in husband were the common social factors responsible for the mental illness.
Conclusions: There is a need for more comprehensive antenatal program focusing on mental wellbeing.
Keywords
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