Abstract:
The objectives were, to estimate the prevalence of depressive phenomena, to identify
demographic risk factors, observe phenomenology and assess severity.The prevalence rate
of depressive disorder was 7.7 per cent. Elderliness (55 year), female sex,widowhood, low
education ,being a housewife, low occupation in the male and economic unproductivity
emerged ad significant risk factors. Subtyping by DSM-III-R criteria showed that moderate
major depressive episode was the commonest and major depressive episode with psyctatic
features the least common.Fain and dyspepsia were the most common presenting symptome
and multiple symptoms, as well as multiple organ inclvement were characeristic feature of
the depressive studies.While affictive and vegetative symptom were typical,cognitive
symptoms of depression were infrequent.Hypochondriasis and anexity too,were very
common. Seveity essessment by subtyping showed that 60 per cent to be moderately or
severely depressed, 66 per cent of the depressives were found to be incapacitated
functionally to a moderate degree at least by globle assessment of functioning scale
criteria.By hamilton depression scale criteria 53 per cent were severly depressed, while 40
per cent were moderately and 7 per cent mildly depressed.The respective beck depression
inventory figures were 26 per cent ,32 per cent and 42 per cent validity and reliability of the
findings,limitation and implication of the conclusion are discussed.
