Prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depression among ever-married reproductive-aged women in Bangladesh: national-level insights from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.

BACKGROUND

The sound mental health of reproductive-aged women is crucial for overall maternal and child well-being. However, mental health aspects are historically overlooked in low- and lower-middle-income countries, including Bangladesh. National-level evidence on common mental disorders like anxiety and depression among reproductive-aged women is limited in Bangladesh. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among ever-married reproductive-aged women in Bangladesh and examine their individual, marital, household, and contextual correlates.

METHODS

We used data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022 that collected anxiety and depression data using GAD-7 and PHQ-9 modules, respectively. This study included a total of 19,987 ever-married women aged 15 to 49 years. We used a cluster-adjusted multivariable logistic regression model to examine the factors associated with anxiety and depression.

RESULTS

The national level prevalence of anxiety and depression among ever-married reproductive-aged women was 19.5% and 4.9%, respectively. The odds of having anxiety monotonically increased from the age of 25. Menopause, educational attainment, autonomy, household wealth, and type of residence were not associated with anxiety or depression. Non-Muslim women were respectively 34% (AOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.55, 0.80) and 33% (AOR: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.97, 2.77) less likely to confront anxiety and depression than Muslims. Having a husband who completed secondary level education, having weekly marital coitus, and residing under the headship of a father or mother-in-law was associated with lower odds of anxiety and depression. Women from the Rangpur and Khulna divisions had higher odds of anxiety and depression than those from Dhaka.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a high prevalence of anxiety among ever-married reproductive-aged women and highlights that anxiety and depression are not clustered among disadvantageous groups like less educated, less autonomous, rural, and poor women. Anxiety and depression are rather associated with late reproductive age, religious affiliation, marital factors, and region.