A STUDY OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY IN WOMEN RESIDING IN A SHELTER HOME IN KOTA,RAJASTHAN

Abstract

Background-The women shelter home is supportive institutional framework of women victim of difcult circumstances. High psychiatric morbidity has been reported in such women in various studies. Aims &Objectives-To nd out socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric morbidity, factor responsible for stay in shelter home & its association with psychiatric morbidity.Material & methods-40 women above 18 years residing in shelter home of district headquarter of Rajasthan were the subjects of study. They were evaluated on a specially designed proforma.GHQ-12 was administered to all women & GHQ positive subjects were assigned a psychiatric diagnosis as per ICD-10 criteria & conrmed by a consulted psychiatrist. Results-Results of the study showed that 70% of women belonged to age group 19-40 years,65% were illiterate,50% were housewives & 42.5% unemployed.55% of women were staying in shelter home for a period of 2-10 years. Most of the family members(77.5%) did not come to meet them.77% women had psychiatric morbidity, of which 35% were schizophrenic,22.5%mentally retarded,10% were suffering from BPAD & 10% from depression. Most common reason for admission of women in shelter home was found wandering(62.5%),followed by lack of nancial affordability. Schizophrenia was most commonly found associated with wandering(57.1%) followed by nancial affordability. The most common cause of depression was rape(50%),other reason were divorce (25%) and breakdown of family(25%).Conclusion-Shelter home women had psychiatric morbidity as high as 77% which mainly included schizophrenia(35%) and mental retardation(22.5%).Most of them(62.5%) were found wandering. Schizophrenia was most commonly associated with wandering (57.5%) and depression with rape(50%).