June 2026, Volume 4, Issue 6

Author

Selva Sruthi T, Rajeshwari S, Vanitha Nallathambi and Jeevithan Shanmugam

Abstract

Introduction: The most common psychological conditions affecting women during their postnatal period are Postpartum depression and anxiety. Both conditions have a significant implication on maternal and infant health. There is a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors that are attributed to the condition. Early identification is advocated in order to prevent adverse outcomes. However, the proportion of undiagnosed cases are still high. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational study. It was conducted among 500 postnatal women who attended a tertiary care hospital in southern Tamil Nadu. All the Participants who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited if willing after obtaining informed consent. Prior institutional ethical committee approval was obtained. A structured questionnaire was developed to capture the data on sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, and postnatal factors. Results: Most participants were in the age group of 21-30 years (72.8%). A High risk of depression was noted among 35.4% of participants, while another 30.4% and 34.2% had moderate risk and low risk, respectively. When applied State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), we observed that 30.6% had high levels, another 37.4% had moderate, and 32% had low levels of anxiety. Psychological distress (moderate to high) was observed among a substantial proportion of women. However, there was no statistically significant association between sociodemographic, obstetric, or postnatal factors and Depression/Anxiety. Conclusion: Prevalence of Postpartum depression and anxiety among postnatal women is on the rise. The absence of any significant associations with specific risk factors highlights the multifactorial nature of these conditions and also underscores the need for universal screening and early intervention of anxiety and depression so to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.