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Original Research (Preprint)

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2025): Regular Issue

Prenatal depression prevalence in Mongolia

Submitted
December 23, 2025
Published
December 31, 2025

Abstract

Depression affects over 350 million people globally, with women disproportionately impacted. The World Health Organization (WHO) projected depression to become the second leading cause of global disease burden by 2020. In developing countries, common mental disorders like depression represent major public health challenges and often follow a chronic course if untreated. In Mongolia, data on prenatal depression remain limited.

We conducted a population-based study using cross-sectional and cohort designs from February 21 to April 8, 2022, to estimate the prevalence of prenatal depression and identify associated factors. A total of 1,482 pregnant women (gestational age 6–40 weeks; aged 18–46 years, mean 30.12 ± 5.88 years) were randomly selected via multistage cluster sampling from 80 clusters across four regions and Ulaanbaatar. Depressive symptoms were screened using the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), with diagnoses confirmed by psychiatrists using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). Associations were examined through linear and multivariable regression analyses. Ethical approval was granted by the Mongolian Ministry of Health (No. 267; March 15, 2022).

The prevalence of prenatal depression was 15.9% (n=235). Younger maternal age, lower monthly income, and lower parity were weakly but significantly inversely associated with depression scores. Compared to women aged >40 years, younger age groups had significantly elevated risk, with the highest odds among those ≤19 years. Unplanned pregnancy, experience of violence, and family conflict were independently associated with significantly higher likelihood of prenatal depression.

Prenatal depression affects nearly one in six pregnant women in Mongolia, particularly younger women. Key risk factors include unplanned pregnancy, violence, and family conflict. These findings highlight the need for targeted screening and interventions in maternal health services.

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