article · PLOS mental health.
Pregnancy involves major physiological, emotional, and social changes that can heighten vulnerability to mental health challenges. This study evaluated the prevalence and determinants of maternal psychological distress among 287 pregnant women attending antenatal care at Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. Using standardised screening tools, participants were evaluated for psychological distress, perceived social support, and intimate partner violence. The findings revealed that 32.1 percent of the women experienced maternal psychological distress. Younger women aged 18 to 24 years showed a significantly higher prevalence of distress compared to older participants. Furthermore, lower levels of perceived social support were strongly linked to an increased prevalence of psychological distress. The research highlights an urgent requirement to embed routine mental health screening and targeted psychosocial support into standard antenatal healthcare services.
Maternal mental health directly impacts both the mother and developing child, yet it remains understudied in many regions. Demonstrating that almost a third of pregnant women in an urban hospital setting suffer from distress underscores the need for routine maternal screening. Identifying vulnerable groups, such as younger mothers and those lacking strong social networks, allows healthcare providers to design more targeted clinical and community interventions.
The abstract does not indicate an application pathway, though the data could inform public health policy, clinical guidelines, and healthcare providers seeking to introduce standardised mental health screening tools and psychosocial support interventions into routine antenatal services.
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Pregnancy is a period of great transition in women, marked by various physiological, emotional, and social adjustment that can increase a woman's vulnerability to psychological distress during this critical period. Despite its potential impact on maternal and fetal health, maternal psychological distress remains underexplored in Tanzania, with limited published data on its burden. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of maternal psychological distress among pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar-es-Salaam. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 287 pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) at Muhimbili National Hospital. A probability sampling method was used to select study participants via a simple random sampling technique through a lottery method. The Oslo Social Support Scale (OSSS-3) was employed to assess perceived social support, while the WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence against Women tool was used to measure intimate partner violence (IPV). Maternal psychological distress was assessed using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Data were analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios to determine factors associated with maternal psychological distress, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval. The mean age of participants was 30.87 (SD ± 4.3). The prevalence of maternal psychological distress was found to be 32.1%. Pregnant women aged 18-24 years had a significantly higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to those aged 25 years and above (aPR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.10-2.45, p = 0.016).Women with perceived poor social support (aPR = 0.458, 95% CI: 0.321-0.652, p < 0.001) and moderate social support (aPR = 0.325, 95% CI: 0.178-0.593, p < 0.001) were also strongly associated with higher prevalence of psychological distress compared to those with good support. The findings revealed that maternal psychological distress is prevalent among pregnant women in this setting, highlighting the need to integrate early mental health screening and psychosocial support into ANC services.
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DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000315
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