Maternal mental health contributing to physiological modification during pregnancy has been shown to have significant impacts on mother, infant, future generation even on family. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms and factors associated among a sample of Malay pregnant women in their second and third trimester of gestation. This crosssectional study was conducted among pregnant women who attended an Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic during their antenatal care visits. Demographic questions and the Malay version of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were utilized. Among 400 pregnant women, the mean and standard deviation (SD) of some variables were as follows: gestational age 27(4.5) weeks, gravidity 3(2), parity 1(1) and age 29.7 (5.1). The findings showed that there were significant associations between levels of depression symptoms with age, gravidity, parity and monthly income. Based on the cutoff point of 11.5 and depression score of ≥12, the prevalence of Antenatal Depression Symptoms (ADS) at second and third trimester of pregnancy in Kota Bharu District was 25.7%. There was a significant negative linear relationship for monthly income β = -0.642 (95% CI: -1.055, -0.229; P= 0.002) with ADS after adjustment for other confounders. The findings of this study indicate that income status is an important factor that influences maternal depression during pregnancy. Furthermore, the prevalence of antenatal depression indicates a specific need to improve a system for reliable detection and effective intervention strategies for depression, which can be conveyed commonly within the health care services.
