Knowledge, Family Support, and Depression in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Background: Antenatal depression is a mental health problem that often occurs during pregnancy and can affect the health of the mother and fetus. This condition may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes and negatively affect fetal development. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between maternal knowledge and family support and the incidence of antenatal depression.

Methods: This was an analytical correlational study with a cross-sectional approach. Accidental sampling was used with a sample size of 105 respondents. The instruments used were the Mental Health Knowledge Scale (MHKS), family support instruments, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The hypothesis was tested using Spearman’s correlation test.

Results: The mean scores for pregnant women's knowledge of antenatal depression, family support, and the incidence of antenatal depression were 13, 7, and 14, respectively. The EPDS results showed that 3.9% of respondents did not experience depression, 28.6% experienced a risk of antenatal depression, and 67.7% experienced antenatal depression. The Spearman test results showed a p-value of 0.162 (p-value < 0.05) for pregnant women's knowledge of the incidence of antenatal depression and a p-value of 0.113 (p-value < 0.05) for family support regarding the incidence of antenatal depression.

Conclusions: There was no relationship between pregnant women's knowledge of the incidence of antenatal depression, and there was no relationship between family support and the incidence of antenatal depression. Nurses, as health workers, need to provide education during pregnancy and screen for the risk of depression to prevent antenatal depression.