The effect of depression on reproductive health among women of reproductive age

Abstract

While the majority of research on depression, which is classified as a mental health disorder, tends to focus on pregnancy, few studies have investigated the relationship and possible effects of depression on reproductive health. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between depression and reproductive health outcomes in non-pregnant women of reproductive age. This was a case control study that consisted of 301 women who attended gynecology outpatient clinic of a university training and research hospital of South of Turkey between May and November of 2015. This study used the Beck Depression Inventory to evaluate depression level. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS for Windows, version 21.0. According to the outcomes of this study, 33.9% of the women evaluated were found to have depression. In addition, the findings demonstrated that there is a difference between women with and without depression in terms of reproductive health outcomes. Taking into account the current and past records of psychiatric disorders documented during the treatment of women who were attended to in to gynecological clinics, this study further showed that better gynecological wellness can be achieved using short screening scales that can refer women for early diagnosis and treatment. (Afr J Reprod Health 2021; 25[5]: 125-132).