Seventy-seven per cent of the pregnant women visiting health facilities across the country for services were diagnosed with depression or anxiety and, among them, 66 per cent experienced both the conditions simultaneously, according to a study revealed on Tuesday.
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh carried out the study and released the study report at its auditorium in the capital.
The study, implemented between 2022 and 2025, observed 7,500 people in seven district and upazila hospitals outside Dhaka. Of them, 5,600 women were receiving care.
Depressed women showed various signs such as low mood, sleep disturbance, loss of interest, fatigue, agitation, self-criticism, poor appetite, lack of concentration, and suicidal ideation.
All the 7,500 people observed had received mental health services from 鈥榃ellbeing Centres鈥欌�攎ental healthcare corners at public hospitals.
The 2019 National Mental Health Survey indicated that at least 19 per cent of the country鈥檚 population suffered from some form of mental health issue.
Psychiatrist and psychiatry professor at the National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital Mekhla Sarkar said that hormonal changes and the major transitions during pregnancy could trigger psychological reactions.
According to gynaecologist Professor Sayeba Akhter, pregnancy is a painful process when a woman expects care from family, husband, and friends.
When they do not receive such support, rather others expect the services form her, it creates mental pressure on her.
Bangladesh Psychological Association secretary general Professor M Shamsuddin Elias said that political, social, family, economic, interpersonal, and physical factors were linked to mental illnesses.
鈥楳ental health may vary by person. In the same circumstances, different people may react differently, and even the same person may react differently at different times,鈥� he said.
Experts noted that mental health remained largely an ignored and taboo subject in Bangladesh, not only for pregnant women but for people in general.
According to the World Health Organization, over 97crore people worldwide suffered from mental health problems as of 2021. About 24 crore of them lived in South Asian countries.
Bangladesh has a severe shortage of mental health professionals. Currently, there are only 260 psychiatrists 鈥� fewer than two for every 10 lakh people 鈥� and 565 psychologists 鈥� fewer than four for every 10 lakh people.
Mental health experts stressed the importance of ensuring pregnant women鈥檚 wellbeing by providing a happy and supportive environment during the complex period.
They suggested spending time with family and loved ones in a stress-free natural environment and consulting mental health professionals when needed.
Aniqa Tasnim Hossain, associate scientist at the icddr,b, said that the number of psychiatrists and psychologists was far below the country鈥檚 needs, but the issue remained largely ignored.
Directorate General of Health Services director for non-communicable disease control wing Syed Zakir Hossain stressed the need for greater investment.
鈥榃e must increase the budget for mental health. Evidence-based models need to be made accessible via union and upazila health complexes,鈥� he said.
National Institute of Mental Health director Professor Md Mahbubur Rahman said that the government had already trained 600 doctors at the upazila level on mental health.
He added that initiatives such as the tele-mental health service of the Monoshwasthya Centre were essential to reaching Bangladesh鈥檚 large population.
Professor Shamsuddin Elias noted that Bangladesh鈥檚 health sector allocation remained very low, with only 0.5 per cent of the health budget earmarked for mental health.
鈥楾he government should consider mental health as health and increase the allocation,鈥� he said.
