Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-26-2024
Journal
Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Studies at the juncture of development economics and public health take on considerable responsibility in addressing inequality and related mental health distress. Mental healthcare in economically marginalized populations requires depicting the linkages between socioeconomic status and psychological distress. In the present work, a sequential mixed-methods design was used to study 190 people in such communities in India. Gender-dependent psychological distress was found according to the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) with moderate distress in women (M = 26.30, SD = 9.15) and mild distress in men (M = 21.04, SD = 8.35). Regression analysis indicated that gender significantly predicted psychological distress, followed by age, marital status, and the level of education of the head of the family. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of semi-structured interviews of the six women who scored the highest on the distress scale unveiled three master themes: (1) manifestation of psychological distress, (2) contextual challenges, and (3) sources of strength and resilience. Overall, participants reported a lack of resources, community violence, gender discrimination, and widespread substance use as major contributors to the ongoing distress. These findings can pave the way for future studies to expand beyond independent economic indicators and curate clinical interventions for culturally competent mental healthcare.
Keywords
mental health, low-income and economic marginalization (LIEM), socioeconomic status, urban slum, gender, caste, intersectionality
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Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Community-Based Research Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Medical Sciences Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons, Oncology Commons
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Associated Data
PMID: 38392445