Mental Health among Below Poverty Line, Above Poverty Line Malesand Migrant Labours of Haryana

Abstract

Relationships between social status and various aspects of mental disorder have long been
of interest to both clinicians and researchers, and a large body of research exists showing the
importance of poverty in understanding psychiatric illness and disability. Present study is an effort to
study the mental health among males belonging from different strata of society economically. Sample
(540 males) was collected from villages of Haryana. The sample is further divided between three
categories of migrant labours, below poverty line people and people who earn moderately of above
poverty line persons (180 each). Mental health questionnaire prepared by Srivastava and Bhatt was
used in this study as instrument. Results show that participants below poverty line and migrant
labours scored markedly higher on free floating anxiety, somatic anxiety, and phobic anxiety in
comparison to participants above poverty line. Participants below poverty line and migrant labours
scored markedly higher on neurotic depression in comparison to participants above poverty line.
Participants below poverty line and migrant labours scored markedly higher on hysterical
personality traits in comparison to participants above poverty line.