Assessment of Prenatal Depression Among Primigravida Women in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Mothers may experience challenges during pregnancy, especially primigravida because it is their first time giving birth is a life-changing incident. Antenatal depression can impact a woman while pregnant and, if left untreated, can be a prelude to postpartum depression.
  
 Objectives: To evaluate primigravida prenatal depression during pregnancy in Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan region of Iraq, and to ascertain the correlation between these women's depression score and their sociodemographic features.
  
 Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, antenatal depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) among 100 primigravida participants at selected healthcare centres. The study used a validated questionnaire to collect participants' data through a random sampling technique.
  
 Results: In the current study, most of the primigravida women (57%) were aged 18-24 years old, housewives (73%), and had an academic degree (44%). According to the EPDS cut-off point (≥10), 46 out of 100 women were determined to be depressed (46%). Among them, those aged 18-24 had more depression possibility (23%) than other age groups (p=0.212). Also, housewives experienced more depression possibility (29%) than other groups (p=0.031). Additionally, most women who had academic degrees had more depression possibility (28%) than other groups (p=0.003).
  
 Conclusions: Pregnant women frequently experience depression in this locality. Measures of prenatal depression ought to be a standard part of prenatal consultations to facilitate the early identification and treatment of mental health problems during the sensitive stage of pregnancy.