Prevalence, Determinants and Disparities of Depression and Anxiety among Working Women in Bangladesh: Insights from BDHS 2022

Abstract Background Depression and anxiety constitute significant public health concerns for working women worldwide. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and the co-occurrence of either condition among Bangladeshi working women, and to examine their associated sociodemographic and household-level determinants, as well as to assess geographic and socioeconomic disparities. Methods Using BDHS 2022 data, a weighted sample of 6412 women aged 15–49 is selected. Anxiety and depression symptoms are measured using the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD-7) scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scale, respectively. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the associated factors. Results The findings showed that among 6412 working women, 5.1% are experiencing symptoms of depression, and 20.1% showed symptoms of anxiety, and 21.4% reported either of these conditions. The prevalence of these symptoms was found to be higher (Depression: 5.6%, Anxiety: 23.8%) among 35-49-year-old women and in Khulna (Depression: 8.2%) and Chattogram (Anxiety:25.4%) division with no formal education (Depression:6.7%, Anxiety: 26.8%). Additionally, working women from female-headed households (Depression:4.7%, Anxiety: 19.5%), beating justification (Depression: 4.8%, Anxiety: 19.9%), and those who use no contraceptive method (Depression:6.9%, Anxiety: 25%) also have a higher prevalence of Depression and Anxiety. In addition, some significant associated factors are identified as age those are 25–34 (Depression AOR:1.73) and 35–49 (Anxiety AOR: 1.41), Khulna Division (Depression AOR: 2.12) and Rangpur Division (Anxiety AOR: 1.22), Islam Religion (Anxiety AOR: 1.60), Female headed household (Anxiety AOR:1.26), worked before marriage (Depression AOR: 1.82, Anxiety AOR: 1.28), Beating Justified (Anxiety AOR: 1.48) were more likely to facing either of these conditions with a p-value of less than 0.05. Conclusions The findings of this study reveal a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among working women in Bangladesh and identify the influence of some sociodemographic and socioeconomic factors. These results recommended some comprehensive strategies to address the underlying determinants of mental health challenges in Bangladesh.