Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Mental Health Profile of Aged Rural Women

Ageing is a constant, predictable process that involves growth and development of living organisms. The United Nations anticipates that the number of people aged 65 and over will increase to 822 million all over the world by 2025. The increase of ageing population is a major concern to both the family and the government. Developing countries such as China and India have the largest total population, and will continue to have the largest absolute number of elderly people. Nobody grow old merely by living a certain number of years. Years may wrinkle the skin but worry, doubt, fear, anxiety, tension and self disrespect wrinkle the soul. Elderly people are highly prone to mental morbidities due to ageing of the brain, problems associated with physical health and socio-economic factors like break down of family support and decline in economic independence. The issue is more acute for women because they are disadvantaged in the predominantly patriarchal societies in which most of them live. The present study examines the changes in mental health of aged rural women and influence of various socio-economic factors on these changes. A semi-structured questionnaire on socio-demographic and mental health profiles of women was developed to assess their mental health status. Most of the women under study were consuming those food items which were easily available in villages and their diet generally lacked fruits, eggs and meat as only 17.5 per cent women were consuming egg and meat while 21.3 per cent ate fruits occasionally. Majority of aged women reported that they could concentrate on work (82.5%) and pay a useful role in the family (83.7%) provided they were given due respect and health care. It was found that more than half of them (57.5%) remained under stress due to one or the other reason and the magnitude of their mental stress was more than their physical one. Family education had positive impact on mental health status of elder women of the family as the mental health level of aged rural women from families having higher education was somewhat better than those of having lower level of family education. More rural aged women from married class were mentally good (86.0%) than those from widow class (67.6%). Family bonding among its members plays an important role in maintaining their physical and mental health specially those of older persons. More number of aged women from medium size families (84.4%) was having good mental health level as compared to those of small (78.3%) and large size (50.0%) families. It was found that high family income was not a guarantee of good mental health of its elderly women but it is the love and affection of family members that natters to keep the mental health of aged women sound as more women from families having medium annual income were having good mental health level (87.1%). The present study showed some association of socio-economic factors with mental health and functioning of an elderly woman. It is necessary that the caregivers be made aware of the physical and mental conditions and problems of the elderly people so as to meet their needs as far as possible in the home setting itself.