DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY DURING PREGNANCY

Objectives: The aim of this research is to find out the occurrence of worry and gloominess signs in women's during the period of pregnancy. Methodology: One hundred females with pregnancy were selected in this study who waiting for check-ups before delivery visit in the hospitals of mother care and child birth of Lady Wallington and Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi. They were included in the study if they were found pregnant and they were also giving their willing for this research. One hundred healthy women who were found without pregnancy harmonized on qualification, age, source of income and married status were selected as their controls. This was transverse research work in which non-probability sampling method was utilized. This research work covers the duration of six months. A little question answers session with the participants was carried out for the gathering of demographic data. DSM-IV standards for evaluating the previous psychiatric disease were utilized by the staff of this research work. Hospital Anxiety & Depression scale (HADS) was utilized for the evaluation of signs of worry and depression. Results: Thirty-nine percent females get high marks on cut-off scale of anxiety and eighteen percent females obtain high marks on depression scale. Among healthy women (control group), the occurrence of anxiety and depression was twenty-eight and twelve percent respectively. Seventeen women were getting psychiatric treatment for their mental sufferings. The outcome of T-test concluded an important disparity between pregnant women and their controls about depression & anxiety. Conclusions: The females having baby in their body are facing more depression and anxiety in comparison to their close healthy control females and most of those females are not being checked at that period. More research works are required for the discovery and treatment of these troubles during the period of pregnancy. Medical studies for the psychological health of mothers and its consequences on unborn baby are needed to be assessed.