Name
Depression and Anxiety in Women Using Digital Mental Health Care in Bangladesh
Time
2:45 PM - 2:55 PM (EST)
Description

Women living in developing countries such as Bangladesh are highly vulnerable to different mental health (MH) conditions, representing a significant global health threat. Due to the health-system inadequacies, stigma, and low MH literacy, a limited population opts to seek professional services. The increasing penetration of digital technologies and web-based applications has amplified MH help-seeking behaviors among many people. Such opportunities potentially provide an accessible and scalable solution to reach underserved populations, especially in resource-limited settings. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of depression and anxiety among women who sought MH care through a digital-based platform, the Women Support Initiative Forum (WSIF) in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 5th, 2023, to August 26th, 2024, on female clients who accessed online one-to-one counseling services from the professional psychologists of the WSIF. The digital platform has been actively promoting awareness of psychosocial health, addressing social issues, to promote self-care among women in Bangladesh since 2018. WSIF functions through several digital platforms such as Facebook closed group (40,000 members), page, website, Linkedin and, led by medical doctors, public health professionals, psychologists and, legal support providers. The Psychologists used a structured check-list that had variables on socio-demography, medical history etc. including validated screening tools, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), during therapeutic sessions to assess MH symptoms during the first session. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to identify factors associated with the MH outcomes. Informed oral consent was secured from all participants (UAMC/ERC//10/2021/28). In total, 375 women aged 25-34 years sought online therapy among them about 87.5% of the participants were highly educated (graduates/postgraduates), with over half employed (52.27%), followed by students (26.40%), and homemakers (18.13%). Most participants were married (57.07%) and, about (25.60%) of the participants reported a medical history (non-communicable, gynecological, hormonal, or other illnesses), and 19.73% had a previous history of MH issues. The prevalence of depression and anxiety were reported as 58% and 60% respectively, whereas about 25.6% of the women have suffered from both conditions. The analysis indicated that having a graduate education (AOR: 0.34, p=0.012) and having siblings (AOR: 0.50, p=0.047) were found protective against anxiety. Conversely, having graduate and post-graduate level education (AOR: 3.41, p=0.003; AOR: 2.63, p=0.014) and having hormonal illnesses were found strongly associated with depression (AOR: 10.14, p=0.044). This novel study provides unique insights into the high burden of MH conditions among women who accessed digital MH care in Bangladesh. The findings can be utilized to develop tailored digital MH-care interventions to improve MH outcomes among urban women.

Kamrun Nahar Koly
Location Name
Regatta Room