Prevalence and associated risk factors of depression among housewives in rural Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Introduction: Depression is the most common mental disorder. Women and the elderly have shown greater vulnerability to depression. Additional responsibilities due to modernization in rural areas have to lead to increased stress and tension among housewives. Limited data is available on depression among housewives in rural India especially Uttar Pradesh. So, the present study was planned to assess the prevalence of depression and its associated risk factors among housewives aged 18-59 years in the rural area of district Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Objective: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of depression among housewives in the rural area. Methods: The study was done in five villages of Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh from November 2018 to October 2019. A total of 500 housewives were selected by systematic random sampling. Interviews were conducted by the house to house visits. Depression was evaluated using the self-reported instrument Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). The analysis was done using MS Excel software and SPSS software version 22. Results: The prevalence of depression was found to be 18%. There was an increasing trend in the prevalence of depression in the middle age group. The increasing level of education, marriage, better socio-economy, economic independence and absence of co-morbid conditions had a lower prevalence of depression. None of the depressed subjects had taken professional help. Conclusion: Housewives should be educated about warning signs and symptoms of depression and motivated to seek professional help.