Socio‐economic status and prevalence of mental disorders in certain rural communities in India

Abstract

A psychiatric field survey was conducted in 3 villages in West Bengal, India to correlate the prevalence of mental morbidity with the socioeconomic status of the families. The sample was divided into 4 groups on the basis of religion or caste. Total morbidity had no statistically significant relationship with socioeconomic status in any of the 4 groups. In the total sample it was directly related. Higher classes had significantly higher rates. Psychoses were not correlated with socioeconomic status in any of the groups. Neuroses showed a significantly higher rate in the upper strata of 2 groups. In the other 2 groups the trend of prevalence was in the same direction. The 4 groups had significant differences in their rates of total morbidity. In all the groups females had a higher rate of mental morbidity. Psychoses, neuroses and depression were more common in human females and schizophrenia was more common in males.