Burden and Determinants of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Depression Among Antenatal Females in an Urban Area of North India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health disorders experienced during pregnancy having a reported between 8.7% and 65% in India. Antenatal depression has been linked to negative health-related behaviors and adverse outcomes among the pregnant females and their neonates. Objective: The present study was designed with the primary aim of determining the prevalence and determinants of depression and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among antenatal females. Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was carried out between February 2023 to August 2024 among 220 antenatal females selected through simple random sampling. A pre- tested semi-structured interview schedule, GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) and PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) scales were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics were applied for quantitative data and chi square test was applied to the categorical data. Results: There were 216 participants and among them, 26.9% had some degree of depression. Mild, moderate and severe anxiety were seen in 25.9%, 5.6% and 2.8% of the participants, respectively. Factors like advanced maternal age, lower socioeconomic status, nuclear family structure, lifetime and current experiences of domestic violence, unwanted pregnancy, advanced gestation and a male child preference were significantly associated (p value <0.05) with antenatal depression and anxiety. Conclusion: A high prevalence of antenatal depression and anxiety was associated with various socio-demographic and obstetric factors. The use of screening tools was found to be a feasible method to identify antenatal depression and anxiety.