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Is Hysteria on the Wane?

A Community Survey in West Bengal, India

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

D. N. Nandi ,
Gauranga Banerjee ,
Sabyasachi Nandi  and
Parthasarathi Nandi
D. N. Nandi*
Affiliation:
Girindrasekhar Clinic, Calcutta
Gauranga Banerjee
Affiliation:
NRS Medical College, Calcutta
Sabyasachi Nandi
Affiliation:
Girindrasekhar Clinic, Calcutta
Parthasarathi Nandi
Affiliation:
Girindrasekhar Clinic, Calcutta
*
∗P-535, Raja Basanta Roy Road, Calcutta-700 029, India
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Abstract

A field survey was conducted in two villages – Gambhirgachi and Paharpur – in 1972. The survey was repeated after 10 years in the former village and after 15 years in the latter one. The second survey showed very little change in the rate of total mental morbidity. The rate of prevalence of hysteria declined significantly in both villages. In Gambhirgachi the rate of hysteria dropped from 16.9 to 4.6 per 1000 in 10 years, and in Paharpur it dropped from 32.3 to 2.05 per 1000 in 15 years.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 160 , Issue 1 , January 1992 , pp. 87 - 91
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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