Association between intimate partner violence and perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms in Nepal: a population-based study

Purpose Perinatal mental health is an important global health and welfare concern, yet it remains insufficiently addressed in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to identify the prevalence of perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms and their associations with intimate partner violence (IPV) in Nepal using a population-based survey. Methods Data from the 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), a population-based survey, were used. The study included perinatal women who were either currently pregnant or had given birth within the past year, selected from the domestic violence subsample, yielding a final sample of 610 women. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multivariable logistic regression were conducted, accounting for sampling weights and the complex survey design. Results We found that 21.8% and 23.1% of perinatal mothers had anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. At the bivariate level, history of pregnancy loss and experiences of intimate partner violence were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms. Age and experiences of intimate partner violence showed statistically significant associations with depression. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the results revealed that women who had ever experienced intimate partner violence had 3.80 times higher adjusted odds of anxiety (95% CI = 2.09–6.89) and 3.16 times higher adjusted odds of depression (95% CI = 1.73–5.75), both of which were statistically significant. In addition, a history of pregnancy loss was significantly associated with higher odds of anxiety (aOR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.08–4.08), while secondary or higher education was significantly associated with higher odds of depression (aOR = 2.32, 95% CI = 1.01–5.33). All other variables remained statistically non-significant. Conclusion Intimate partner violence was significantly associated with higher odds of both anxiety and depressive symptoms among perinatal women in Nepal. A history of pregnancy loss was associated with higher odds of anxiety symptoms, while secondary or higher education was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of considering intimate partner violence alongside reproductive and sociodemographic factors when examining perinatal mental health.