Abstract
BACKGROUND: Mental health is a global health concern, particularly the burden among women of childbearing age (WCBA). We aimed to investigate the patterns and trends of the top two common mental disorders among WCBA from 1990 to 2021. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The temporal trends were examined using joinpoint regression analysis. We utilized local regression smoothing models to fit the curves for correlations between age-standardized rates (ASRs) and sociodemographic index (SDI) and Spearman correlation analysis to examine the correlations with health-related indexes. FINDINGS: The top two common mental disorders were depressive and anxiety disorders. The ASRs worldwide fluctuated and increased from 1990 to 2021. Annual percentage changes of ASRs of depressive disorders indicated increasing trends in high SDI regions, while those of anxiety disorders increased in regions with middle SDI, low-middle SDI, and low SDI. The 45-49 age group showed the highest global prevalence rate for depressive disorders in 2021. Joinpoint analysis revealed upward trends in depressive disorders' ASRs, with the most notable increase during the 2019-2021 period, consistent with anxiety disorders. The associations between ASRs and SDI exhibited different patterns. The incidence of depressive and anxiety disorders showed significant correlations with various health-related indexes. CONCLUSIONS: The global burdens of depressive and anxiety disorders among WCBA showed rising trends, and patterns differed in age and time period, underscoring the urgent need for targeted prevention and healthcare strategies to mitigate the burden among WCBA worldwide.