A structural equation modelling to explore the determinants of mental health disorders among reproductive-aged women in Nepal: a nation-wide cross-sectional survey.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968559 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-244X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 1471244X NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Psychiatry Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Depression*/epidemiology ; Latent Class Analysis*; Humans ; Nepal/epidemiology ; Female ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Anxiety/epidemiology ; Anxiety/psychology ; Health Surveys ; Anxiety Disorders/epidemiology ; Anxiety Disorders/psychology ; Mental Disorders/epidemiology

Background: Similar to other countries, reproductive-age women in Nepal frequently encounter diverse mental disorders, yet they receive inadequate screening and attention. This research seeks to address this gap by conducting a comprehensive examination of the prevalence and factors associated with mental disorders of reproductive-age women in Nepal.
Methods: This study used the nationally representative Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 dataset to examine the association between mental disorders and potential confounders. Screening tools for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) were employed, and descriptive and inferential statistics, including linear regression and structural equation modeling, were utilized in the analysis.
Results: The study found that 22% of Nepalese women aged 15 to 49 reported anxiety symptoms, while 5% reported depressive symptoms. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) reveals that anxiety had the most significant positive effect on depression (β = 0.683, p < 0.001), followed by emotional violence (β = 0.139, p < 0.001). Marital status (β = 0.072, p < 0.001) and the presence of genital discharge (β = 0.084, p < 0.001) or ulcer (β = 0.058, p < 0.001) in the last 12 months were also associated with higher levels of depression. Conversely, self-rated health status (β=-0.121, p < 0.001) was negatively associated with depression, indicating that better-perceived health was linked to lower levels of depression.
Conclusion: Although the prevalence of anxiety symptoms is higher than that of depression, there is a positive relationship between these two. Consequently, it is crucial to address the identified factors contributing to anxiety and depression in this population group through behavioral and policy interventions to enhance the mental well-being of reproductive-age women.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The current study involved analyzing secondary data, which is publicly accessible at www.dhsprogram.com and free of cost upon appropriate application. The ICF Institutional Review Board and Ethical Review Board of Nepal Health Research Council approved the data collection and survey process. Therefore, further ethical approval was not needed. However, a detailed explanation of the ethical procedure followed by the DHS program can be found elsewhere. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Nepal; Reproductive age; Women

Date Created: 20241201 Date Completed: 20241202 Latest Revision: 20241201

20241204

PMC11610098

10.1186/s12888-024-06249-2

39617912