Social factors and mental illness: an analysis of first admissions to a psychiatric hospital.

The authors have investigated all first admissions to a psychiatric hospital during a five year period (1972-1976) to determine the diagnostic socio-economic and demographic variables among these patients. Variables of age, sex, religion, education, occupation, income, domicile, family structure and size, and sibling position have been studied. A comparison of these variables has been made between neuroses and psychoses; and between schizophrenia and affective disorders. The significant variables are discussed in the context of socio-cultural practices in India.