Prenatal Screening for Risk Factors of Depression during Pregnancy

Abstract

Depression is a common mental illness that ranked the third most prevalent moderate and severely disabling condition globally by the World Health Organization. Many women, particularly those living in poverty or already with dependent children, may view pregnancy with negative feelings. Issues or memories surrounding poor parenting or abuse women have suffered may reassert themselves and cause distress. The study aimed to assess prenatal screening for risk factors of depression during pregnancy. The study design was a descriptive study it conducted at the prenatal clinic at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. Data collected started from first March 2019 to the end of May 2019. A purposive sample was used, the sample was 500 pregnant women. Inclusion Criteria included the pregnant women through all periods of pregnancy free from any previous history of psychological problems. Tools of Data Collection: Two tools of data collection were used: A Structured Interview Questionnaire Sheet to assess the general characteristics of the study sample included age, education level, occupation, and place of residence. The