Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: December | Volume: 8 | Issue: 12 | Pages: 127-131
Quality of Community Life and Mental Health in Slums
Vikas Sehra
Research Scholar, Centre for the Study of Regional Development (CSRD), Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
ABSTRACT
The present study assesses level of mental health and quality of community life in slum of Delhi. It explores the factors which are responsible for poor mental health in slums. A sample of 40 slum dwellers from Sanjay Colony, Okhla of Delhi were taken with 20 males and 20 females, who were administered World Health Organization (WHO) Self Reporting Questionnaire and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Quality of Community Life Questionnaire. The prevalence of poor mental health and poor quality of life was high. A significant correlation of 0.366 (p<0.05) was obtained between mental health and quality of community life. Women were found to be more vulnerable to poor mental health then men. Scores revealed that general satisfaction can be seen among slum dwellers with the relatives, family and friends while general discontent was observed with community efforts, law and order, neighbours, social discrimination, medical facilities and social contact. Regression analysis revealed family and social discrimination as the statistically strongest predictor of poor mental health. Future psychosocial intervention studies needs to be conducted for improved quality of community life and mental health for people living in slums.
Key words: Mental Health, Quality of Community Life, Slums.