{
  "abstract": "Online mental health services (MH) are playing a pivotal role by increasing MH literacy, enabling accessibility, and reducing logistical barriers, especially for women from developing nations like Bangladesh. However, the psychological burden and service needs of women using online MH platforms remain understudied despite their heightened vulnerability. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence and determinants of anxiety and depression among women who received counseling from the online MH service platform,Women Support Initiative Forum (WSIF)through a cross-sectional study conducted between 5th September 2023 and 26th August, 2024. Data were collected by WSIF psychologists using a structured client information form covering socio-demographics, history of MH condition, health conditions, and presenting MH symptoms. Anxiety and depression levels were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify associated factors. Out of 375 women, 59.2% and 58.1% had experienced mild to severe anxiety and depression, respectively, with 25.6% having both conditions. Women with graduate-level education had 66% lower, and those with one or more siblings had 50–54% lower likelihoods of anxiety compared with women without graduate-level education and siblings. In contrast, women with graduate-level or postgraduate-level education and reporting hormonal conditions had 3.41 times, 2.63 times and over 10 times higher likelihoods of depression, respectively, compared with women who were not graduates and without a hormonal condition. Conversely, women with a history of MH and reported migraine, headache and allergic conditions had 52% and 65% lower odds compared with women without these conditions. Distress, negative thinking, and feelings of worry were highly prevalent among women with anxiety and among those with depression. Our findings highlight a significant MH burden among women who accessed online psychological counseling, indicating the importance of targeted actions in designing MH interventions by relevant stakeholders and policymakers.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Women Support Initiative Forum-WSIF, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Research Unit of Population Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland",
    "Department of Public Health, Asian University for Women, Chittagong, Bangladesh",
    "Urban Health Systems and Population Studies Division, icddr, b, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Department of Public Health, School of Health & Life Sciences, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Department of Environmental Science, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Department of Pharmacology, Uttara Adhunik Medical College, Dhaka, Bangladesh",
    "Institute for Global Health and Development Division, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 9,
  "authors": [
    {
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        0
      ],
      "name": "Kamrun Nahar Koly"
    },
    {
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        1
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      "name": "Jobaida Saba"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Fahmida Sarker"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Elma Rudhsarah"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Md Arif Billah"
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    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Rasma Muzaffar"
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    {
      "affs": [
        6
      ],
      "name": "Nafisa Mosaddek"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Abu Syed Md. Mosaddek"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Daniel D. Reidpath"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mca4z0y076fy.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pmen.0000715",
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  "issns": [
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  ],
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  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
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  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3202|Digital Mental Health Interventions"
    ],
    [
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Neuroscience/Cognitive science/Cognitive psychology/Clinical psychology"
    ],
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Cognitive psychology/Clinical psychology"
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      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Emotions/Anxiety"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Clinical medicine/Signs and symptoms/Headaches/Migraine"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry"
    ],
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      "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry/Mood disorders/Depression"
    ],
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      "/Medicine and health sciences/Mental health and psychiatry/Neuropsychiatric disorders/Anxiety disorders"
    ],
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  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000715&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-15",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mca4z0y076fy.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:49Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pmen.0000715",
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      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/mentalhealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmen.0000715"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:clinical psychology",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
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  ],
  "title": "Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among women seeking digital mental health services in Bangladesh",
  "title_text": "Prevalence and associated factors of anxiety and depression among women seeking digital mental health services in Bangladesh",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:49Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4mca4z0y076fy",
  "venue": "PLOS Mental Health",
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}