Major depression among pregnant women attending a tertiary teaching hospital in Northern Uganda assessed using DSM-V criteria

Background Major depression (MD) during pregnancy complicates maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite its significant impact, there is a lack of evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of MD among pregnant women in Uganda. We assessed the magnitude and factors associated with MD among preg...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC pregnancy and childbirth Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 504 - 10
Main Authors: Okot, Jerom, Ochola, Henry, Blasich, Nozuko P., Aeku, Michael Job, Pebolo, Pebalo Francis, Bongomin, Felix, Ouma, Simple
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: London BioMed Central 26.04.2025
Springer Nature B.V
BMC
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age
Alcohol
Antenatal care
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data collection
Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis
Depressive Disorder, Major - epidemiology
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Education
Female
Gynecology
HIV
Hospitals
Hospitals, Teaching
Human immunodeficiency virus
Humans
Major depression
Marriage
Maternal and Child Health
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Obstetrics
Personal relationships
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications - diagnosis
Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications - psychology
Pregnant People - psychology
Prenatal Care
Prevalence
Questionnaires
Reproductive Medicine
Risk Factors
Sample size
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teaching hospitals
Tertiary Care Centers - statistics & numerical data
Uganda - epidemiology
Variables
Violence
Womens health
Young Adult
Uganda
Pregnancy
Major depression
Antenatal care
ISSN:1471-2393, 1471-2393
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background Major depression (MD) during pregnancy complicates maternal and neonatal outcomes. Despite its significant impact, there is a lack of evidence on the prevalence and associated factors of MD among pregnant women in Uganda. We assessed the magnitude and factors associated with MD among pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at a large teaching hospital in Northern Uganda. Methods Between June and August 2023, we enrolled pregnant women aged 18 years or older attending ANC clinic at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in Northern Uganda. Data were collected using a validated semi-structured questionnaire. MD was evaluated using DSM-V criteria and was defined as having (1) at least two weeks of either persistent low mood or excessive sadness, (2) plus additional symptoms from the MD diagnostic criterion A, for a total of at least five MD symptoms, and (3) the symptoms caused significant distress or problem and significantly altered behaviour or functionality. Modified Poisson regression analyses with robust standard errors was constructed to evaluate for factors independently associated with major depression. Adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) whose 95% confidence interval (CI) did not include the null value (0) or p  < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results We enrolled 329 participants, with a mean age of 26.1± 5.5 years. Overall, 29.8% ( n  = 98) had MD; 37 (11.2%) mild, 49 (14.9%) moderate, and 12 (3.6%) severe MD. Having a co-wife (aPR: 1.64, 95% CI:1.09–2.45, p  = 0.016), an arranged marriage (aPR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.02–2.42, p  = 0.042), partner’s income in second quartile (aPR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.29–3.54, p  = 0.003), experiencing physical violence (aPR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.09–3.81, p  = 0.019), controlling behaviours from partner (aPR: 3.60, 95% CI: 1.79–7.26, p  < 0.001), and planned pregnancy (aPR: 0.53%, 955 CI: 0.35–0.81, p  = 0.003) were independently associated with MD. Conclusion Major Depression affects nearly one-third of pregnant women in Northern Uganda. Major Depression is more prevalent among women with co-wives, in arranged marriages, with unplanned pregnancies, whose partners had low income, who experienced physical violence or controlling behaviours from a partner. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions, including prevention, screening, and treatment services for Major Depression within Antenatal Care clinics. Implementing such measures is crucial to improving maternal, foetal, and neonatal health outcomes in the region.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
content type line 23
ISSN:1471-2393
1471-2393
DOI:10.1186/s12884-025-07618-9