ABSTRACT Context: Perinatal depression is a widespread mental health concern affecting women during pregnancy and postpartum, with significant consequences for both mother and child. Early detection through reliable screening tools is essential, especially in resource-limited settings. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a government teaching hospital in Telangana, India, involving 122 perinatal women aged 21–45 years in their third trimester or postpartum period. The Telugu version of the World Health Organization 20-item Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was translated, standardized (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.964), and administered to assess the prevalence of depression and common mental disorders (CMDs). Sociodemographic and obstetric data were also collected, and statistical analyses included t-tests, analysis of variance, and Chi-square tests to explore associations. Results: The SRQ-20 demonstrated high internal consistency. Most participants (79.3%) exhibited mild symptoms, with smaller proportions showing moderate (13.3%) and severe (7.4%) levels of depression or CMD. No significant differences in SRQ scores were found across most sociodemographic variables, except for family income and husband’s occupation, which showed significant associations with SRQ-20 scores. Conclusion: The Telugu version of SRQ-20 is a reliable and practical screening instrument for identifying perinatal women at risk of depression and CMD in clinical settings. Routine screening using this tool can facilitate early detection and referral for appropriate mental health interventions, ultimately improving maternal and infant outcomes.
Korlakunta et al. (Thu,) studied this question.