Antenatal depression is a common mental disorder during pregnancy, affecting maternal and infant health. Research on this issue in Latin America is limited, particularly in Mexico. This study assessed symptoms of depression among pregnant Mexican women and identified associated factors. We analyzed baseline data from 1390 pregnant women (ages 18–49) enrolled in an eCohort at the Mexican Social Security Institute. Depressive symptoms were identified using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), with a score of 8 or higher indicating the presence of symptoms. We used descriptive statistics to characterize pregnant women and a chi-square test to compare the characteristics of women with and without symptoms of depression. Multivariable Poisson regression was conducted to identify associated factors. The study found that 6.4% of pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit with their family physician presented symptoms of antenatal depression. The factors significantly associated with symptoms of antenatal depression were intimate partner psychological violence (adjusted Prevalence Ratio (aPR) = 3.08; 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.96, 4.83; p < 0.001), a previous diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety (aPR = 3.63; 95%CI: 1.98, 6.66; p < 0.001), a medical history of pregestational noncommunicable chronic diseases (except depression) (aPR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.29, 3.03; p = 0.002), and common pregnancy-related discomforts (aPR = 3.15; 95% CI: 1.45, 6.85; p = 0.004). The prevalence of antenatal depression symptoms among pregnant women was 6.4%, which is below global estimates. Associated factors included intimate partner psychological violence, pregestational chronic diseases, history of depression and/or anxiety, and common pregnancy-related discomfort. Integrating mental health screening and assessing factors linked to depressive symptoms into antenatal care is essential for supporting maternal mental health. Not applicable.
Paredes-Cruz et al. (Mon,) studied this question.