Background: Women in India face substantial mental health challenges, which significantly vary across urban and rural settings. Limited studies directly compare these populations, especially when carefully matching for key demographic factors such as age and socioeconomic status (SES). Aim: To compare the prevalence, specific symptoms, and associated sociodemographic factors of psychological distress between urban and rural women matched by age and SES. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 320 women (160 urban and 160 rural), aged between 18 and 60 years, conducted from September to October 2024 in Khandwa district, Madhya Pradesh. Psychological distress was assessed using the validated Hindi version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10). Sociodemographic data were analyzed using Chi-square tests and independent-sample t -tests. Results: Clinically significant psychological distress (K-10 score >20) was significantly higher among urban women (61.3%) compared to rural women (43.1%; χ 2 = 11.1, P = 0.001). Urban women also had significantly higher mean K-10 scores (24.7 ± 6.4 vs. 20.3 ± 5.9, P 0.05), but urban women had significantly higher education ( P = 0.028) and employment rates ( P = 0.007). Conclusion: After controlling for age and SES, urban residence was independently associated with higher psychological distress among women. These findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions tailored specifically to urban environments.
Prashant et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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