Impact of Mental Disorders in Terms of Discrimination and Stigmatization: A Cross-Sectional Study in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Abstract

Background: Developing countries are facing maternal and infant mortalities, in which maternal infections and preventable conditions during pregnancy are cardinal factors. In low-income countries, mortality related to hospital infections accounts for 36% of total newborn mortality. Despite, patient care and global progress in reducing maternal mortality, sepsis is still a major cause of preventable maternal mortality. Pakistan's health care system is not adequately prepared, especially for workers to transit from an emergency haphazard care to organize proper standardized care. Objectives: To determine the impact of mental disorders in terms of discrimination and stigmatization. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in psychiatry units of three tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data was collected from 432 participants through a structured questionnaire using a convenient sampling technique. The duration of the study was six months. Data were analyzed using SPSS V.23. Results: The mean ages of the participants are 34±4. 45.6% of participants were married, while 54.19% were unemployed. 19.9% quit their job due to disease. 52% reported mental health adversely affected their relationships with family members. Moreover, 65.05% of people reported that their overall socializing skills have been negatively affected by the mental illness-related stigma. 72.9% of the participants reported that they are stigmatized due to their mental health disorders. Conclusion: It is noted that a large number of people are being stigmatized due to their mental illness. This stigma is affecting their lives, especially their family dynamics, educational attainments and behavior of peers at their workplace. The disease process disturbed the education, employment and social status of mentally disordered patients.Keywords: Depression, Mental Disorders, Stigmatization, Discrimination.