WOMEN IN AN AFTER CARE HOME IN INDIA - A PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDY - PART 1

• NCJ Number: 58937
• Journal: INDIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY Volume: 18 Issue: 2 Dated: (1976) Pages: 109-115
• Author(s): G SINGH; R S VERMA; H C VERMA; H KAUR
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Indian Psychiatric Soc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: India
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

THE FAMILY BACKGROUND AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, BEHAVIOR, AND EXTENT OF PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AMONG INMATES OF AN AFTER-CARE HOME FOR WOMEN IN AMRITSAR, INDIA, ARE EVALUATED IN THIS INITIAL REPORT.

Abstract

THE STUDY WAS CONDUCTED OVER A PERIOD OF 6 MONTHS. THE 85 SUBJECTS WERE EXAMINED INDIVIDUALLY, AND A DETAILED PSYCHIATRIC AND CLINICAL EXAMINATION WAS DONE BY THE PSYCHIATRIST. CASE HISTORIES WERE RECORDED, AND OFFICIAL RECORDS WERE OBTAINED PERTAINING TO REASONS FOR ADMISSION AND SOURCE OF REFERRAL. THE OBSERVATIONS OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE HOME WERE NOTED ABOUT THE SUBJECTS' BEHAVIOR IN THE HOMES. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS OF EACH SUBJECT WAS DETERMINED BY USE OF THE KUPUSWAMY SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS SCALES FOR URBAN RESIDENTS AND THE UDAI PAREEK AND G. TRIVEDI SCALES FOR RURAL RESIDENTS. THESE GRADE THE SUBJECTS INTO ONE OF FIVE SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES. THE MAJORITY OF THESE INMATES WERE YOUNG GIRLS BETWEEN 10-20 YEARS (67.5 PERCENT) WITH A HIGH INCIDENCE OF PARENTAL DEPRIVATION BY DEATH OR SEPARATION (33 PERCENT) OR MATERNAL DEPRIVATION (43 PERCENT) IN THE INMATES' FAMILIES. FURTHER, THERE WAS A HIGH INCIDENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS AMONG FATHERS OF THESE INMATES OR AN ABNORMAL FATHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP. IN CONTRAST, ONLY 2.5 PERCENT OF THE MOTHERS SUFFERED FROM MENTAL ILLNESS. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE IN THE STUDY TO MEASURE INMATES' REACTION TO HAVING LIVED IN A RESTRICTED ENVIRONMENT. FINDINGS SHOWED THAT ROUGHLY HALF WERE NONCOOPERATIVE, STUBBORN OR HOSTILE, WHILE THE REMAINING 45 PERCENT WERE COOPERATIVE, HARD WORKING, AND ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN THE EDUCATIONAL AND REHABILITATIVE PROGRAMS CARRIED OUT IN THE HOME. THE PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES ASSIGNED TO THE INMATES WERE PERSONALITY DISORDER--24 PERCENT, MENTAL RETARDATION--24 PERCENT, SCHIZOPHRENIA--15 PERCENT, NEUROSIS--5 PERCENT, EPILEPSY--2 PERCENT, AND NO PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS --30 PERCENT. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)