STRESS AND PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDER IN RURAL PUNJAB - A COMMUNITY SURVEY

Background The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in rural Punjab;is unknown. Previous studies in rural areas elsewhere in the Indian subco ntinent have yielded widely differing estimates. Method First-stage sc reening of a village near Gujar Khan used the Bradford Somatic Invento ry and Self Reporting Questionnaire. Psychiatric interviews were condu cted with stratified samples using the ICD-10 Diagnostic Criteria for Research. Results It is estimated that 66% of women and 25% of men suf fered from anxiety and depressive disorders. Levels of emotional distr ess increased with age in both genders. Women living in unitary househ olds reported more distress than those living in extended or joint fam ilies. With younger men and women, lower levels of education were asso ciated with greater risk of psychiatric disorders. Social disadvantage was associated with more emotional distress. Conclusions This study i n rural Punjab confirms the findings of a previous study in Chitral, n orthern Pakistan, of high levels of emotional distress and psychiatric morbidity among women in rural areas of Pakistan.