Assessment of Psychological Distress among adult Population Attending Health Centers of Mysuru Using K-10 Scale

Reg No: 65

Abstract

Background: Psychological distress is a growing public health concern, often underrecognized in primary care settings which is the first point of care. It is the early indicator of common mental disorders like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder. Large proportion of individuals with CMD’s go undiagnosed and untreated. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10) is a validated screening tool for detecting symptoms of anxiety and depression. Aims & Objectives: 1. To assess the level of psychological distress among adult PHC attendees in Mysuru 2. To determine the association between level of psychological distress and sociodemographic factors Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 202 adult patients attending both rural and urban health centres affiliated with a medical college in Mysuru. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising sociodemographic details, behavioural factors, and the K-10 scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and chi-square tests were applied to assess associations between categorical variables. Results: Among the 202 participants, 61.8% were male and 38.2% female, with a mean age of 35.32 ± 15.28 years. While 43.6% were likely to be well, 56.4% exhibited varying levels of psychological distress. Significant associations were observed between psychological distress and residence (p = 0.000), marital status (p = 0.017), smoking (p = 0.005), and alcohol consumption (p = 0.011). A positive correlation was also found between K-10 scores and the number of working hours per day, indicating occupational strain as a contributing factor. Conclusion: More than half of the study population experienced psychological distress, influenced by both social and behavioural determinants. These findings highlight the importance of integrating routine mental health screening into primary care and tailoring interventions to address contextual risk factors.