Background: Mood disorders are of utmost importance during pregnancy, thus the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of depression in parturients referring university hospitals in Tehran in 1999.

Materials and Methods: It was a cross sectional study. Parturients aged 15-49 years were included. Our exclusion criteria were history of psychiatric disorders, drug usage, chronic disease, infectious disease and pregnancy-induced complications. Demographic data including age, level of education, occupation, economic status, gestational age, gravidity, abortion, preterm delivery, family size, infertility, history of PMS, social support and unpleasant happens were all recorded. Beck test was used to determine the depression and its severity, Pikayl test was used for determination of unpleasant happen and Wienfiled and Tiggemann had assessed social support. Beck score of 0-15 was considered as normal, however, higher than that was considered as depression.

Results: Of 580 parturients, 45.7% were depressed. Depression has shown significant association with level of education (P<0.002), economic status (P<0.000), family size (P<0.000), gravidity (P<0.000), gestational age (P<0.000), unintentional pregnancy (P<0.000), history of PMS (P<0.001), social support (P<0.000) and unpleasant happens (P<0.02).

Conclusion: Depression is frequent during pregnancy, thus screening tests are highly recommended.