Prevalence of depression among the under trial prisoners (UTPS) of Odisha

Pages: 750-753
Nirupama Bhuyan (Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha)
Tanmaini Das (M.D (Psychiatric), M.H.I. S.C.B Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, Odisha)

Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person’s thoughts, behavior, feelings and physical well-being. Depression hurts and it can be debilitating. This present study was designed to determine the proportion of depression among the Under Trial Prisoners (UTPs) of Puri District Jail, to find out the socio-demographic co-relates, to study different psychosocial factors related to depression, to find out the prevalence of depression with respect to their different educational status, to find out the prevalence of depression with respect to their different criminal records, to assess the clinical presentation, to find out the outcome of the illness, and to compare the different diagnostic entity of ICD-10 to above variables. Out of 665 samples, hundred consecutive cases of depression within the age group of 20 to 60 years were selected. Frequencies of symptoms were determined using the items in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale for depression and other symptoms if any. The findings so obtained were tabulated, statistically analyzed by using ANOVA and critically interpreted. It was found that among 100 UTPs, the percentage of men is higher than female. The UTPs belong to the age level of 18 to 30 years are more prone to depression as their future aspirations are more in them. The results of this study suggest that depression in male UTPs is more prevalent than female UTPs. It was also found that the inmate depressed population is more frequent among the persons educated up to intermediate level. The prevalence of depression is also found to be higher in middle socio economic status group. Again the UTPs staying more than 6 months and charged with theft cases are more prone to depression than their counterparts. According to the learning theory explanations, depressed UTPs receive fewer rewards and more punishment then the UTPs who don’t feel depressed. Thus, we may conclude on this statement that, few things make a depressed prisoner happy and more things make depressed prisoners unhappy. This implies that depression may be a self-sustaining state.