Common perinatal mental disorders: a study of correlates, quality of life and birth outcomes among pregnant women in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

Depression and anxiety are among the commonest mental disorders that may affect women during pregnancy. This study aimed at getting a better understanding of how these variables impact on the quality of life of women during the perinatal period and how social support and intimate partner relationship moderate that relationship. In this study, 122 women in Accra, Ghana, completed a series of self –report measures including the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), The Intimate Bond Measure (IBM) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL–BREF). Results indicated 37.7% of the perinatal women experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression and 16.4% of moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety. While there was a negative relationship between common mental disorders (CMDs) and quality of life during pregnancy, social support partially moderated this relationship. Intimate partner relationship, however, did not act as a buffer against the effects of CMDS on quality of life. CMDs were shown to have adverse effects on birth outcomes in terms of birth weight. The study demonstrated that perinatal mental health problems exist among women in Accra during pregnancy and that it has adverse outcomes for their quality of life with social support serving as a robust buffer in these relationships.