Center-based prevalence of anxiety and depression in women of the northern areas of Pakistan

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in women of the Northern areas. Methods: A cross-sectional center-based study was conducted at Singal Medical Center (SMC), Gilgit, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: One hundred and twenty women, between the ages of 16 and 60, attended the SMC over a two month period and were included in the study. Using HADS, it was found that 50% of the women had anxiety and/or depression; 25% suffered only from anxiety, 8% from depression and 17% had features of both. Conclusion: This study supports the previous studies of stress in remote areas and also contradicts the belief that people who live in the remote rural areas lead stress-free lives or have low rates of psychiatric morbidity.