American Journal of Advances in Nursing Research

ASSESS THE PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY OF PERSONS WITH HANSEN`S DISEASE IN SELECTED LEPROSY HOME AT MADURAI

Rajindra1, Dr. Rajamani S2, Rajalakshmi N

rajkodeemdu@gmail.com

Leprosy, Psychiatric morbidity, Hansen’s patients, Baseline demographic variables

To assess the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among person`s with Hansen`s Disease in selected leprosy Home in Madurai. To associate the psychiatric morbidity of person`s with Hansen disease in selected Leprosy Home, Madurai with their selected base line variables. Introduction: Hansen's disease (leprosy) was probably the first disease known to humanity. Throughout ancient India, leprosy has been regarded as a punishment from god, called kushta roga. The bacterial Hansen's disease (HD), caused by M. leprae or M. lepromatosis, is characterized by a prolonged incubation period. World Health Organization (WHO, 2011) reported 228,474 new leprosy cases in 2010, a two-fold decrease from 20 years ago. Leprosy patients are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than the general population, with 99 cases per 1000 being estimated. Despite the fact that the relationship between HD and other infectious co morbidities is not always clear, other infectious co morbidities often coexist with HD. As a centrally sponsored health program, the National Leprosy Eradication Programme is sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. Methodology: Non-experimental descriptive research design was used, 100 Hansen`s patients were selected by nonprobability (consecutive) sampling and assessed through Mini International Neuro psychiatric interview tool. Results: The major findings of the study were the baseline variables such as age, Sex, Religion, Type of family, Educational status, Marital status, Occupation, Income of the family per month, Number of children, Place of Residence, Type of Leprosy, Disability level, Duration of illness, Compliance of treatment, Reason for admission, Duration of stay in the home, Social support, Type of care giver. Also, it resulted that Mini International Neuro psychiatric Interview tool among psychiatric patients Conclusion: The study findings evidence that most patients with leprosy have psychological morbidity. Psychiatric care should be practiced as a part of comprehensive health care of the inmates of leprosy homes