<p>Depression and Domestic Violence Experiences Among Asian Women: A Systematic Review</p>

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the association of postpartum depression with domestic violence experiences among women in Asia. Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is an important cause of maternal morbidity as well as mortality. There is increasing evidence that domestic violence (DV) increases the risk of PPD. Methods: We performed literature searches using the databases PUBMED, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Google Scholar, for studies published between January 2010 and May 2019. The keywords "postpartum", "postnatal", "depression", and "violence" were used. Observational studies conducted within Asia, and written in the English language, were included. Results: In the 38 studies included in this review (with 37,087 participants), the prevalence of PPD ranged between 8.2% to 70% and that of DV between 6.1% to 67.4%. There were 1.6 to 7.1 higher odds of PPD among sufferers of DV. Intimate partner violence (IPV) was the most relevant factor that women experiencing psychological abuse (which was the most prevalent form of IPV) were more at risk for, and violence/intimidation by other family members was also associated with PPD. Domestic violence increased the risk of suicidal ideation in PPD. Discussion: The findings of the review unequivocally shows the association between domestic violence and PPD. Maternal mental health is a neglected area of healthcare in many parts of Asia. Likewise, domestic violence is a readily recognized, but inadequately addressed social issue. We recommend that healthcare workers be trained to recognize and support the women who are vulnerable to violence and depression during pregnancy and postpartum. Policies need to be developed at national and global levels to tackle these issues with utmost urgency.

Intimate partner violence, spouse extramarital affairs, and depression among women in rural Uganda

“…However we did not a statistically signi cant association between depression and IPV in our study, contrary to what has been documented in many studies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Moreover, high levels of IPV and depression have been consistently reported among rural women living with HIV [46][47][48][49] and this has been linked to rampant extramarital relationships common among HIV positive couples [49,50].…”

“…Moreover, many studies have consistently reported the association between depression and intimate partner violence (IPV) [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. Some studies have suggested a direct relationship between depression and IPV [15,16], while others have suggested a reciprocal relationship [18,19].…”

Violence and adversity among pregnant women and new mothers in central Vietnam

“…However, there has been much less improvement in services related to women's mental health and social care. In developed countries like Australia and the UK, maternal mental health screening is integral to routine care, while in Vietnam and other Asian countries, it is rarely considered unless a woman's condition is very severe and obvious (Koirala & Chuemchit, 2020). This study confirmed findings from previous studies that a lack of clinical training is a major barrier for IPV screening and improvement in psychosocial antenatal care practice (Githui et al, 2018;Hasselle et al, 2020;Wright et al, 2021).…”

“…Global variation has been acknowledged, such as the higher risk in the Eastern Mediterranean and South-East Asian regions (37%) compared to European and other Western countries (23%) (García-Moreno et al, 2013). Recently, a key systematic review of IPV among 38 studies in Asian countries showed an extremely wide range in prevalence estimates (from 6.1% to 67.4%) and a median prevalence of 48.6%) (Koirala & Chuemchit, 2020). In contrast, another review of 19 studies suggested that the IPV prevalence is lower in some other setting such as Australia, Cambodia, or Denmark (physical IPV-2.2%, emotional IPV-9.5%) (Devries et al, 2010).…”

Perinatal mental health around the world: priorities for research and service development in The Netherlands

“…6 Domestic violence is known to increase the risk of postpartum depression and suicidal ideation in new mothers, which can lead to problems in mother-child interaction and other threats. 7 Signalling abuse is of great importance to optimise a healthy and safe environment for both mother and child.…”