Psychological and gynecological morbidity in women presenting with vaginal discharge in Pakistan

Abstract

Gynecological morbidity has been reported to be associated with psychological distress among women. However, no formal research has been conducted in Pakistan on psychological and gynecological morbidity in women presenting with vaginal discharge. This study aimed (1) to examine whether women presenting with a primary complaint of vaginal discharge are more likely to have a Common Mental Disorder compared with those not presenting with vaginal discharge and (2) to examine whether gender disadvantage is associated with vaginal discharge. Psychological morbidity was examined in women (n=377) presenting at gynecological clinics with and without a primary complaint of vaginal discharge. Gynecological and Psychological morbidity were assessed using Urdu version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and the National Family Health Survey Interview. Women presenting with a primary complaint of vaginal discharge were significantly more likely to have a common mental disorder than women presenting with other gynecological problems. Hunger, a marker of poverty, and low social integration, a domain of gender disadvantage, were associated with vaginal discharge in the multivariate model. Pakistani women presenting with vaginal discharge were at increased risk of having a common mental disorder. This research highlights the need for training of medical professionals such as gynecologists to identify common mental disorders among women reporting with gynecological problems. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Keywords:

• gynecological morbidity
• common mental disorders
• vaginal discharge

Acknowledgements

We would like to give our special thanks to Professor Dinesh Bhugra for his support in all the aspects of this research. We would like to thank Professor Vikram Patel for his advice and help with this study. We would also like to thank Professor Shahina Asif for her continuous support on all stages of this study.