Objectives: Common mental disorders (CMDs), including depression, anxiety, and somatoform disorders, affect all stages of life and impact individuals, families, and communities. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of CMDs and their sociodemographic determinants in the adult population of a rural block in North India.
Material and methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative, community-based study was conducted among adult residents of a rural block in Haryana, North India, using a multistage random sampling technique. The Hindi version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), a well-validated tool, was used to screen participants for CMDs. Scores of 4 or above denoted the presence of CMDs. Bivariate analyses were performed to determine the associations between CMDs and sociodemographic characteristics.
Results: Of the 180 residents selected for the study, most were women (60.0%) and aged between 31 and 50 years (52.3%). The prevalence of CMDs symptoms in the study population was 20.0%. The presence of CMDs symptoms was significantly higher among those who were aged 60 years or older [OR=12.33, 95% CI 3.21-47.38], widowed, divorced or separated [OR=7.50, 95% CI 1.09-51.52], illiterate [OR= 6.25, 95% CI 2.84-13.77], had monthly family income below 10,000 INR [OR=3.33, 95% CI 1.54-7.20], had any chronic physical illness [OR=8.28, 95% CI 3.70-18.56] and had a family history of any psychiatric illness [OR=5.56, 95% CI 1.52-19.42].
Conclusion: The burden of CMDs was quite high among adults in rural North India. The presence of CMDs was closely associated with sociodemographic characteristics. Primary care and community-based settings need to screen for, diagnose, and manage CMDs to address this growing problem.
Keywords: General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); common mental disorders (CMDs); determinants; prevalence; rural North India.
©2024 The Japanese Association of Rural Medicine.