Prevalence and Risk Factors of Perinatal Depression Among Indian Mothers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Perinatal depression in women is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, and this puts a substantial burden on affected individuals, family members, and society. Therefore, understanding related factors is crucial for effective prevention and intervention strategies. The purpose of this systematic review is to determine the prevalence and risk factors of perinatal depression among women in India. A literature search was conducted through international databases like PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science to extract literature on depression among perinatal women in India. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines are followed to extract English-language articles published through 2024 and to describe the risk factors for perinatal depression. Computer software (Rayyan) was used to detect and screen duplicate articles. Overall, 48 studies (antenatal = 15; postnatal = 33) were included in this review and analysed. The pooled prevalence of antenatal depression across the studies was determined to be 18.26% (confidence interval: 14.05% to 22.47%). The pooled prevalence of postnatal depression was estimated to be 16.29% (CI: 13.82% to 18.7%). The pooled prevalence of antenatal depression was found to be higher in urban settings (19.50%) as compared to those from rural regions (pooled prevalence = 15.43%). On the other hand, postnatal depression was found to be higher among participants of rural residences, with a pooled prevalence of 18.05%, as compared to their counterparts (15.72%). We found four key domains (a) Socio-economic factors (b) Maternal-related factors (c) Obstetric factors, and (d) Psycho-social factors that affect perinatal depression. Our study suggests that early screening to detect depression among women is vital. Inclusion of mental health promotion services within maternal health programs may be initiated to effectively address perinatal depression in women.