Psychiatric morbidity in an urban slum of Mumbai: cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To find out prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in urban slum community in Mumbai. METHODS: A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in a health post area of Dharavi, a large slum in Asia. Systematic random sampling was employed to select households, the sampling unit in this study. All individuals aged 15 and above were eligible to participate in the study. Individuals willing to participate were interviewed with symptoms checklist - 90 for identifying those with psychiatric illness. All individuals identified with a psychiatric disorder on the basis of the symptoms check list were invited for a clinical interview conducted by a psychiatrist. Univariate and multi-variate analysis was carried out with help of SPSS. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychiatric conditions was found to be 12.5%, much higher compared to previous studies. Affective disorders were the most common accounting for 42.7% of the total morbidity, followed by anxiety disorders (30.7%) and psychoses (21.3%). The adjusted odds ratios for psychiatric disorder were significantly higher for illiterates and those with primary education only (2.4), unemployed (2.1) and those with family history of a psychiatric disorder (1.9). CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of psychiatric morbidity calls for primary psychiatric services to be made available to all and integrated with the primary health care. Family members of psychiatric patients constitute high risk group that needs attention in form of screening, care and treatment, if necessary.

A Cross-sectional Study of Common Psychiatric Morbidity in Children Aged 5 to 14 Years in an Urban Slum.

AIM: Study of the prevalence of common psychiatric disorders in children aged 5 to 14 years in a health post area of an urban slum. OBJECTIVES: (1) To study frequency of specific psychiatric disorders in the study population, (2) To study the relationship between sociodemographic variables and psychiatric morbidity. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The present study was conducted in one of the five health posts of an urban slum, which is a field practice area of the teaching medical institute. It was a cross-sectional study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sample size was estimated by using 20% as a prevalence of psychiatric morbidity which was obtained from previous studies done in developing countries. Household was used as a sampling unit and systematic random sampling method was used for selecting household. Total 257 children aged 5 to 14 years were included in the study. A pre-designed, semi-structured diagnostic interview schedule based on DSM-IV criteria was used for data collection. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The tests of significance used were Chi-square and Logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in this study was 14.8%. Non-organic enuresis, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Conduct disorder, and Mental retardation were identified as the common mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Factors like nuclear family, parents not living together, large family size, and positive family history of psychiatric disorder were associated with psychiatric morbidity in children.

Study of knowledge and attitude regarding prenatal diagnostic techniques act among the pregnant women at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai.

BACKGROUND: Sex ratio, an important social indicator measuring extent of prevailing equity between males and females in society, is defined as number of females per 1000 males. Changes in sex ratio reflect underlying socioeconomic, cultural patterns of a society. As per 2011 census sex ratio in India is 914/1000 males, which continues to be significantly adverse towards women. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding Prenatal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act among the pregnant women at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Mumbai. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the antenatal ward of Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, Mumbai during the period of January to April 2008. A total of 143 women were included and a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to get information regarding socio-demographic details of the pregnant women. They were asked regarding the knowledge and attitude towards the PNDT Act. Data was analyzed by using Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) 16.0. RESULTS: In the present study, out of 143 women, 105 (73.5%) knew about sex determination. Even out of those who had heard, the correct knowledge regarding PNDT act was very less. Sonography as a technique for sex determination done at private hospital was known to the majority of women. CONCLUSION: Education of women about gender equality and recommendations under PNDT act in order to improve declining sex ratio in our country must be done. Wide publicization in the media of the Act must be scaled up.