{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T19:24:02Z","timestamp":1791919442154,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787097600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To identify the risk factors of depression and anxiety among ever-married Mozambican women, including rural\u2013urban, internet-use, and province- wide geographic inequalities, and to inform mental health policy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methodology<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study used cross-sectional design and 13,183 ever-married women aged 15\u221249 years from the nationally representative Mozambique Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS) 2022\u22122023. The outcome variables were assessed using the Patients Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), with score (&gt;=10) indicating depression and anxiety respectively. Survey-weighted multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with anxiety and depression, and results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Findings<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Among all women, 11% reported anxiety symptoms, and 10% reported depressive symptoms. Women aged 35\u201339 years associated the highest odds of anxiety (aOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.48\u20132.87) and depression (aOR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.07\u20132.08). Additionally, women aged 45\u201349 years showed the second-highest odds of anxiety (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.12\u20132.23), while the second-highest odds of depressive symptoms were also observed among women aged 45\u201349 years (aOR = 1.32, 95% CI: 0.92\u20131.89), compared with women aged 15\u201319 years. Age at first sex (&lt;18 years) was significantly associated with anxiety (aOR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.25\u20132.19) and depression (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.17\u20132.18) compared to aged \u226518 years. Women participation in decision making autonomy significantly associated with lower odds of anxiety (aOR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54\u20130.83) and depression (aOR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.53\u20130.81). Household asset ownership of (aOR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62\u20130.92), and improved sanitation facilities associated with lower odds for anxiety (aOR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60\u20130.98) only. While, improved household materials (aOR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.07\u20131.76) and internet use (aOR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.07\u20131.99) were associated with higher anxiety. Geographically, women Cabo Delgado and Zamb\u00e9zia, Nampula consistently associated with higher odds while Gaza associated with lower odds of both anxiety and depression compared to Maputo City respectively.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Targeted mental health symptoms interventions should prioritize aged 35\u201349 years and high burden provinces such as Nampula strengthening women\u2019s decision-making autonomy. Integrating routine mental health symptoms screening into reproductive and women\u2019s health services may help decrease anxiety and depression among Mozambican women.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0356265","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T17:39:21Z","timestamp":1787161161000},"page":"e0356265","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Stratified and geographic patterns of depression and anxiety in Mozambican women: Mental health policy implications"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5973-461X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Md Salek","family":"Miah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0356265.ref001","article-title":"The Lancet Psychiatry Commission on intimate partner violence and mental health: advancing mental health services, research, and policy","author":"S Oram","year":"2022","journal-title":"The Lancet Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0356265.ref002","volume-title":"Anxiety disorders","author":"WHO","year":"2025"},{"key":"pone.0356265.ref003","article-title":"Women\u2019s mental health: a narrative review","volume":"11","author":"J Ghodke"},{"issue":"10328","key":"pone.0356265.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"957","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02141-3","article-title":"Time for united action on depression: a Lancet-World Psychiatric Association Commission","volume":"399","author":"H Herrman","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0356265.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1917","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S435857","article-title":"Analyzing role overload, mental health, and quality of life among Jordanian female healthcare professionals: a cross-sectional study","volume":"15","author":"EK Alnazly","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Womens Health"},{"issue":"10361","key":"pone.0356265.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1438","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(22)01470-2","article-title":"The Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination in mental health","volume":"400","author":"G Thornicroft","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"pone.0356265.ref007","unstructured":"Ghodke J, Vora N, Gupta A. 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