Psychiatry AdvisorA Quarter of Women in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Report Perinatal Depression

The research included 589 studies published between 1992 and 2021, involving 616,708 women from 51 countries.

A thorough examination of perinatal depression among women in low and middle-income countries has yielded striking results, reinforcing the global need for improved mental health awareness and services.

Key Points:

• A quarter of perinatal women in low- and middle-income countries suffer from depression, according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry.
• The prevalence of perinatal depression was 24.7%.
• Higher rates of depression were found in lower-middle-income countries (25.5%), followed by upper-middle-income (24.7%) and low-income countries (20.7%).
• The lowest rate of depression was observed in East Asia and the Pacific (21.4%) and the highest in the Middle East (31.5%).

Additional Points:

• Depression was more prevalent during the antenatal period (26.3%) than the prenatal period (23.1%).
• Among at-risk groups, the overall rate of depression was 35.0%, peaking among women who experienced intimate partner violence (46.3%).
• After sensitivity analysis, the adjusted prevalence of depression was 23.4%.

Conclusion:

• Perinatal depression is common in low- and middle-income countries, necessitating improved mental health support and interventions, particularly among at-risk populations.

Psychiatry Further Reading

• Zuranolone in Major Depressive Disorder: Results From MOUNTAIN—A Phase 3, Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial
• Young Patients are Smashing Bones in Their Faces with Hammers. Here’s Why and What You Can Do to Stop It.
• Young Children Increasingly Ingest Melatonin, With Serious Outcomes
• You’re Probably Taking Your Pills Wrong, New Study Finds

Did You Know?
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 10-15% of women experience postpartum depression in high-income countries, a number significantly lower than the 24.7% prevalence found in this study among women in low- and middle-income countries.