Keywords
COVID-19
Depression
Pregnant Women
Stress
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: Public health concerns pertaining to depression, anxiety, and stress in expectant mothers are critical. Pregnancy is a sensitive period of a woman’s life. Various psychological factors can adversely affect her foetus and herself.
Objectives: To assess the status of depression, anxiety, and stress among pregnant women of Pokhara during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in antenatal clinic of Pokhara Academy of Health Science, Kaski district among 400 pregnant women who were recruited by using convenient sampling technique. Data was collected through face-to-face interview technique with structured interview schedule from May to September 2021 after obtaining ethical clearance from Nepal Health Research Council (Ref. 180/2021P), Institutional Review Committee of Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences (Ref. 48.2022/078). Depression, anxiety and stress scale-21 was used to assess the depression, anxiety and stress among pregnant women. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistical analysis Chisquare, correlation, independent t-test and ANOVA were performed to analyse the data by using statistical package for social science.
Results: Slightly more than a fifth (21.3%) had depression, around one third (32.5%) had anxiety and 12.7% participants had stress. Age of respondents, the age of the spouse, the age difference, stress, anxiety, and depression scores all significantly correlate with each other (p <0.05). There was a significant difference in depression score among rural and urban and among primi and multigravida participants (p <0.05). With ANOVA, depression, anxiety, and stress had significant differences with occupation, husband’s education and occupation, and marital satisfaction (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Almost a quarter of participants had depression, a nearly one third had anxiety, and more than one tenth had stress. Various factors are associated with depression and anxiety among pregnant women. Psychosocial counselling should be conducted by focusing on rural pregnant women.
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