Prevalence of common Mental Disorders among pregnant women-Evidence from population-based study in rural Haryana, India

Background: Mental disorders during pregnancy is one of the major public health problem because of its effect on both mother and child. Objectives: The objective of the study was to assess the burden of common mental disorders (CMDs) among pregnant women in rural Haryana, North India. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 28 villages of rural Haryana in 2016. Pregnant women in the study area with period of gestation 25–34 weeks were enrolled and assessed for presence of CMDs in two phases. Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders—Patient Health Questionnaire was used for screening and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for diagnosis of CMDs. Results: A total of 457 pregnant women were included in the study. Mean age of pregnant women was 23.9 years (SD- 3.9). Prevalence of CMDs was 15.3% (95% CI, 12.0–18.6). Of these, major depression was 2.8% (95% CI, 1.4– 4.4), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder was 15.1% (95% CI, 11.8–18.4) as per MINI. On multivariate analysis, no statistically significant association was found between CMDs during pregnancy with any obstetric, sociodemographic determinants, and child health outcomes. Conclusion: High prevalence of CMDs, especially anxiety, observed among pregnant women in rural area necessitates the need for integration of screening of CMDs during routine antenatal care in India