Mamidanna Pooja, Thagunna Narendra Singh, Dangi Jyotshna, Zelman Diane C
Clinical Psychology PhD Program, Alliant International University San Francisco Bay Area, Emeryville, CA, United States.
Department of Psychology, K&K International College, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Front Glob Womens Health. 2024 Jul 23;5:1256484. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2024.1256484. eCollection 2024.
In South Asia, particularly in regions with strong patriarchal norms, widowhood is stigmatized, compounding the negative impact of grief and partner loss. This study measured the prevalence of mental health symptoms among widows in Nepal and its relationship to demographic variables.
This cross-sectional study surveyed 588 Nepalese widows from six districts in Nepal (mean age = 52.62, SD = 13.99) who had lost their spouses within the past two years. Participants completed the Anxiety, Depression and Stress Scale (ADSS). Analyses examined prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, using standard ADSS cut-points. Level of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms measured by the ADSS in the sample were also compared with female psychiatric and nonpsychiatric normative ADSS data, and were compared with one available comparison sample (a sample of older Nepalese women). Measures of association between ADSS scores and demographic variables were computed.
Results showed that a high percentage of the Nepalese widows reported moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress. They also endorsed significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms relative to normative data and the comparison sample. Stress scores were significantly negatively correlated with age, Anxiety and Depression scores were associated with income under the poverty line, and Depression scores were associated with homemaker status.
These findings confirm the high emotional distress among widowed women in Nepal, and establish the relationship between emotional distress and poverty, homemaker status, and age. These findings can inform public health efforts and mental health care providers regarding the mental health needs of widows in Nepal.
在南亚，尤其是在有着强烈父权规范的地区，寡妇身份会受到污名化，这加剧了悲伤和伴侣离世带来的负面影响。本研究测量了尼泊尔寡妇心理健康症状的患病率及其与人口统计学变量的关系。
这项横断面研究调查了尼泊尔六个地区的588名尼泊尔寡妇（平均年龄 = 52.62，标准差 = 13.99），她们在过去两年内失去了配偶。参与者完成了焦虑、抑郁和压力量表（ADSS）。分析使用标准的ADSS切点来检查焦虑、抑郁和压力症状的患病率。样本中通过ADSS测量的焦虑、抑郁和压力症状水平还与女性精神病学和非精神病学的ADSS规范数据进行了比较，并与一个可用的对照样本（一组尼泊尔老年女性样本）进行了比较。计算了ADSS分数与人口统计学变量之间的关联度量。
结果显示，很大比例的尼泊尔寡妇报告有中度至重度的焦虑、抑郁和压力症状。相对于规范数据和对照样本，她们认可的焦虑、抑郁和压力症状水平也显著更高。压力分数与年龄显著负相关，焦虑和抑郁分数与贫困线以下收入有关，抑郁分数与家庭主妇身份有关。
这些发现证实了尼泊尔寡妇中存在高度的情绪困扰，并确立了情绪困扰与贫困、家庭主妇身份和年龄之间的关系。这些发现可以为公共卫生工作和心理健康护理提供者提供有关尼泊尔寡妇心理健康需求的信息。
