Prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression among women registered at antenatal clinic in a tertiary care center in Telangana, India

ABSTRACT Background: Pregnancy is a crucial phase in a woman’s life, and the inability to cope with its stressors may lead to adverse outcomes. Early detection of antenatal depression is vital for mitigating its impact. This study aims to assess the prevalence and correlates of antenatal depression among women attending an antenatal clinic in a tertiary care center in Telangana. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare center in Telangana, India. Two hundred pregnant women attending antenatal checkups were included. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to diagnose antenatal depression. Socioeconomic, obstetric, gender-related, life events, psychiatric history, and family relationship variables were assessed. Fisher’s exact test and logistic regression were used for analysis. Results: The majority of participants (91.5%) were aged 30 or younger, with 94.0% identifying as homemakers. Significant associations with possible antenatal depression included illiteracy ( χ 2 = 11.52, P = 0.001) and marrying at or below 18 years ( χ 2 = 5.79, P = 0.016). In addition, higher rates of depression were observed in women with unwanted pregnancies ( χ 2 = 0.036, P = 0.036) and those with alcoholic spouses ( χ 2 = 27.28, P < 0.001). Family structure showed that 72.0% lived in joint families, while 38.5% faced overcrowding. Conclusion: This study reveals a 21% prevalence of antenatal depression among women in Telangana, India. Key risk factors include lower literacy, younger age at marriage, unwanted pregnancies, and spousal alcoholism. These findings highlight the need for targeted educational programs and enhanced access to reproductive health services. Implementing universal depression screening in antenatal care can improve maternal mental health outcomes and overall pregnancy experiences.