Original Research
Level of awareness and treatment of anxiety and depression during pregnancy in southeast Nigeria
Submitted: 27 December 2017 | Published: 08 November 2018
About the author(s)
Ezeme M. Sunday, Department of Psychiatry, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, NigeriaPaul C. Okoli, Department of Psychiatry, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Vincent O. Dinwoke, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Anxiety and depressive disorders are somewhat masked by features of pregnancy; hence many women are ignorant of them and are untreated.
Aim: To determine the level of awareness and treatment of anxiety and depression in pregnancy.
Setting: The study was carried out at the antenatal clinic of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.
Method: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive study of 200 pregnant women in consecutive attendance of the antenatal clinic using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a sociodemographic questionnaire.
Results: Of the participants, 23.5% had anxiety and/or depression, 7.5% of them were aware of their condition and only 0.5% of all the participants or 6.7% of those who were aware of their problem received treatment.
Conclusion: Anxiety and depression are prevalent among pregnant women. Because of overlap of symptoms of anxiety and depression with those of pregnancy, the awareness is very low; hence many of them suffer immensely without treatment.
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Crossref Citations
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Pyramid Journal of Medicine vol: 7 issue: 1 year: 2024
doi: 10.4081/pjm.2024.334