Screening for antenatal depression and its determinants among pregnant women in Qatar: revisiting the biopsychosocial model.

BACKGROUND

Screening for antenatal depression and its determinants is highly recommended. However, there is no consensus on a standard conceptual framework to approach pregnant women in a primary health care setting. The prevalence of antenatal depression and significant determinants are unknown in Qatar, a gap that we propose to fill.

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study with a probability sampling technique was employed. Enrolling eight-hundred participants from primary health care centers. The screening was performed through a valid and reliable screening instrument 'Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale.' In addition to the proposed Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Model, participants were asked about their predisposing profile, biological risk, and other suggested modifiable variables.

RESULTS

Twenty-one percent reported minor depressive episodes (n = 167, 20.9%) at a 95% confidence interval [18.2-23.8]. Previous use of mental health medications, fear of giving birth, concern about appearance, low perceived social support, and low resilience level showed to be associated with antenatal depression. The logistic regression analyses revealed that the Comprehensive Biopsychosocial model forecast 89% of antenatal depression predictors provided Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve of 0.89 at a 95% confidence interval [0.85 to 0.92].

CONCLUSIONS

Antenatal depression is common among pregnant women in Qatar, and preventive interventions must target the determinants revealed. From a clinical perspective, the use of the proposed model may aid in the standardization of the screening process.