Prevalence and related factors of common mental disorders during pregnancy in Japan: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Common mental disorders (CMD) during pregnancy can have a clearly harmful influence on both mothers and children. Some studies have reported related factors for mental disorders, such as region-specific background. This study examined the prevalence of CMD and its related factors in mid-pregnancy in Japan. METHODS: Pregnant women between 12 and 24 weeks gestation and aged ≥20 years were consecutively recruited at a maternity hospital in Japan between May 2014 and September 2014. CMD were diagnosed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), self-rated depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and interpersonal traumatic experience was measured using the Life Events Checklist. RESULTS: Among 297 eligible pregnant women, 177 participated in the study. Two participants (1.1 %) met the criteria for major depressive disorder. The most frequent diagnosis was agoraphobia (n = 7; 3.9 %). Eleven participants (6.2 %) met the criteria for one or more diagnoses, with 2 participants having two mental disorders and 3 having three mental disorders. Six participants developed CMD after gestation. Logistic regression analysis revealed history of psychiatric disorder, past interpersonal traumatic experience, and feeling pressure to have a child were associated with CMD. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate a lower prevalence of CMD in mid-pregnancy in Japan than reported in most other countries. Besides the related factors reported previously, feeling pressure to have a child might increase risk for CMD among pregnant women in Japan. Asian cultural background might be related to the lower CMD prevalence and risk factors identified in this study.