Trends, Prevalence, and Risk Factors of Anti-Depressant Use in Women of Reproductive Age Group

Abstract

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric illness marked by a constant feeling of despair and alienation for two weeks that manifest as a hurdle in daily life activities. Depression is more prevalent in women owing to biological and psychosocial factors. Despite the severe outcomes of antidepressant use on mother and child, the prevalence rate in developed countries like USA and Netherlands is 8.7% and 2 % respectively. In this study, we are studying the trends, prevalence, and risk factors of antidepressant use among women of the reproductive age group. Methods: The present systemic review is conducted using PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO. The search engines were PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct. All those which didn’t match the title, in other languages, and were duplicated were excluded from the study. The screening was done based on abstracts. Selected articles were studied and data was finalized. Results: The risk factors in the reproductive age group are loneliness, marital conflicts, many Children, postpartum blues, postpartum depression, physical and sexual abuse, gender, cultural and racial differences, and socioeconomic status. The use of antidepressants gradually increased from 1995 to 2001 followed by a sharper increase till 2004 with a subsequent reduction in usage due to perinatal complications. The prevalence rate for antidepressant use is increasing steadily in developed countries with two third being SSRIs.it later on decreased or remained constant due to warnings. Conclusion: The main risk factors are postpartum depression, gender differences, physical and sexual abuse, and poor socioeconomic status. The use of antidepressants increased followed by a decrease in later years. The prevalence rate varied geographically with most prevalence classes being SSRIs, SNRIs, and TCAs.