Depression in pregnant non-diabetic women and women with gestational diabetes in Bangladesh-a comparative study based on multiple logistic regression.

Background: Depression and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) pose significant challenges during pregnancy. Limited literature exists on depression in women with GDM, with most studies focusing on pre-pregnancy diabetes or postpartum depression. This study fills a crucial gap by specifically investigating and comparing antenatal depression among subjects with and without GDM in Bangladesh, utilizing data from the gestational period.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with a convenient, purposive sampling technique was undertaken among 111 pregnant women with (66) and without (45) GDM from September 2017 to March 2018 in the BIRDEM-2 GENERAL HOSPITAL, Dhaka. A semi-structured interview schedule was designed with items relevant to socio-demographics, obstetric history, diabetes, and depression.

Results: Different degrees of antenatal depression were identified in 61.3% of the subjects (i.e., 27% had mild, 4.5% had moderate, and 29.7% had severe depression, respectively). Out of 45 non-diabetic mothers, 11 (24.4%) had depression whereas out of 66 GDM mothers, 57 (86.4%) have depression. The exploratory analysis revealed that age group, menstruation history, and presence of GDM significantly affected depression but the multiple logistic regression model supported only GDM as a significant factor of depression. All the socio-demographic factors in this study were statistically insignificant to explain depression.

Conclusion: The risk of developing depressive symptoms increases with the presence of GDM. Therefore, it is important to screen for depression and provide treatment if necessary in women who are diagnosed with GDM.