Prevalence, pattern and determinants of mental disorders in rural Bangladesh

Very few studies have examined mental health morbidity in Bangladesh. This community-based study of rural Bangladesh in 2000-2001 estimated the burden of mental morbidity among rural people of working age.

Community surveys were conducted with one respondent from each household of three selected villages in the service provision area of a non-profit public health organization. General Health Questionnaire 60 (GHQ-60) was used as a screening tool in Stage I, and clinical examination by a Western-trained psychiatrist was undertaken for concurrent validation in Stage II.

The overall prevalence of psychiatric disorders in this rural area was 16.5%. Depressive disorders and anxiety disorders constituted about one-half and one-third of the total cases, respectively. A significantly higher prevalence of mental disorders was found in the economically poor respondents, those over 45 years of age, and women from large families.

There is a high prevalence of psychiatric disorders in rural Bangladesh. These findings should aid the planning of locally relevant and appropriate mental healthcare programmes. There is an urgent need for a national mental healthcare policy that strengthens primary mental healthcare services.