Depressive symptoms among women in disaster-prone region in Bangladesh

Abstract

Women are one of the crucial mental health victims of disaster but there is a lack of rigorous research in this area. This study, therefore, conducted a survey using a questionnaire among 350 randomly selected women from Khulna district (a disaster-prone region in Bangladesh) to explore the prevalence of depression and associated factors among women. 9-items Patient Health Questionnaire was used to measure the depressive symptoms and 63% were found to have the moderate to severe level of depression. Similarly, the ordered logistic regression model revealed that being married, having children, facing physical injury, job loss in disaster, damage of house, damage of crops, loss of domestic animals, worrying about future possible loss, family conflicts, and physical violence were the significant risk factors of depression among women in disaster-prone Bangladesh. This is because disasters increase caregiving obligations, financial instability, weak social support, and gender-based violence among women comparing men. Thus, it is crucial to prioritize mental health interventions for women including livelihood and emotional supports within disaster management policy framework. Likewise, future studies should use a longitudinal design with an extensive sample and study region since the current study employed a cross-sectional design with a small sample and study region.