Sociocultural determinants of perinatal mental health: Religion and parity status in north Indian women

This study examines how religious background and parity status influence perinatal mental health among women in North India. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 participants, ensuring balanced representation of Hindu and Muslim participants (50% each) and primiparous and multiparous mothers (50% each). Mental health was assessed using the Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS), Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Analysis revealed that primiparous mothers demonstrated significantly higher anxiety and depression scores (p < 0.001) with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 1.34-3.79). The parity effect was most pronounced for pregnancy-specific anxiety (PRAQ scores: primiparous M = 3.63 vs. multiparous M = 2.54). Regarding religious differences, Hindu participants reported higher scores than Muslim participants across all measures (PASS: M = 2.34 vs. M = 1.89; PRAQ: M = 3.18 vs. M = 2.99; Edinburgh: M = 2.16 vs. M = 2.02). Significant interactions between religious background and parity status were also observed. These findings highlight how sociocultural factors substantially influence maternal psychological well-being, with implications for developing culturally sensitive interventions that address the specific needs of different demographic groups within the maternal population.