The Effect of Antenatal Depression on Perinatal Outcomes among Jordanian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Antenatal depression is one of the most common pregnancy complications that might influence perinatal outcomes. Current studies in Jordan focus on the prevalence of and predictive factors for antenatal depression. There is a gap in understanding its impact on labor, delivery, and neonatal health indicators. Purpose: To compare perinatal outcomes between two groups of pregnant women in Jordan, one group whose members have been diagnosed with antenatal depression and one group whose members did not have that diagnosis. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive comparative design was used to collect data from pregnant women attending the obstetric and gynecologic department and clinics at a medical center in Amman, Jordan. Consecutive sampling was used to recruit a total of 785 participants. Results: About 15% (n = 121) of the women screened positive for antenatal depression, defined as an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 13 or higher. The results indicated that women with antenatal depression had a significantly longer first stage of labor than women who did not have depression. The neonates of women without depression had significantly higher Apgar scores at 1 and 5 min than those of women with antenatal depression symptoms. Conclusion: This study highlights the significant impact of antenatal depression on labor duration and neonatal outcomes among Jordanian women. Implications: Policymakers in health-care systems can use these results to prioritize mental health screening as a component of routine care of obstetric and gynecologic health-care models.