Exploring the acceptability, feasibility and utility of a digital tool for self-reporting perinatal anxiety and depression in urban obstetric and paediatric clinics in India

Background: Common mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression, affect 13% to 55% of women during the perinatal period in India. However, high-volume obstetric clinics often lack resources for routine mental health assessment. Digital tools could address this gap by facilitating maternal mental health screening. Aim: This study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability and utilization of digital self-reporting for perinatal anxiety and depression in two urban obstetric and paediatric clinics. Method: A multilingual digital application was developed for self-assessment using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and psychosocial risk factors. A total of 234 participants (101 pregnant and 133 postpartum women) completed the assessment, receiving immediate results and personalized recommendations. Follow-up calls 24 h later gathered feedback on feasibility and acceptability. Results: Among the 234 participants, the assessment identified mild anxiety in 15.8%, moderate to severe anxiety in 11.1%, mild depression in 31.6% and moderate to severe depression in 14.1%. Over 83% of women reported at least one psychosocial risk factor, and 10.2% had a history of psychiatric illness. Of 138 participants responding to follow-up, 60.4% preferred digital self-assessment alone for its convenience and non-judgmental nature. In contrast, 22.5% preferred consulting with their obstetrician or a mental health professional. Challenges included application navigation confusion and attempts to modify answers for lower scores, prompting refinements for improved user experience and cultural relevance. Conclusion: Digital self-reporting is a feasible and acceptable approach for early detection of perinatal mental health concerns in high-volume urban clinics. Further testing is needed in rural and diverse healthcare settings to assess its broader applicability.