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Background: Depression is a major public health concern among Indian adolescents. Pre- and post-natal depression can often alter fetal development and have negative consequences on the physical and mental health of the mother. This paper aims to draw attention to the prevalence of depression and its correlates among currently married, ever-pregnant adolescents from two Indian States, i.e. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Methods: This study utilizes data from a subsample (n = 3116) of the prospective cohort study Understanding the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults (UDAYA) among 10 to 19 year-old adolescents. Bivariate analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of depression by sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. To further access the predictors associated with depression a logistic regression model was applied. Results: Around one-tenth (9%) of pregnant adolescents had depression. Regression analysis indicated that substance use, religion, autonomy, considering attempting suicide, premarital relationship, violence, dowry, adverse pregnancy outcome, menstrual problem, and parental pressure for the child immediately after marriage were significantly associated with depression. Conclusions: This study confirms the pre-existing annotation that teen pregnancy is linked with depression. Findings indicate that Adolescent mothers experiencing violence, and a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes are at increased risk of developing depression. These study findings call for an urgent need to address depression among adolescent mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Not much is known about impact of 1918 Influenza on patients confined inside mental asylums of that period. Aim and Methods: The study aimed to assess impact of Influenza pandemic on mentally ill patients in asylums, based on data extracted from provincial asylum reports (1915–1923) from British India. Results: The asylum population in most provinces was impacted both in terms of direct mortality (1918) as well as all-cause morbidity and mortality (1918; 1918–1920). Agra and Oudh lost 9.5% of average daily asylum strength directly due to influenza in 1918. All-cause mortality (1918) was highest for mental asylum/s in provinces of Agra and Oudh (16.83%), Punjab (14.83%), and Bombay (14.4%). Isolated outbreaks continued till 1923. Another peculiar finding was markedly reduced sickness and death rates in 1921–1923 compared to 1915–1917, across asylums of all provinces. Conclusion: Findings point to a significant impact of Influenza pandemic in mental asylums across several provinces, and provide historical insights with implications for the current pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]