Prevalence and Risk Factors of Depression among Garment Workers in Chattogram Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Depressive disorders have been found to be a significant health issue among industrial workers, resulting from work-related factors and causing serious burdens for the workers as well as their employers. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of depression and their potential associated risk factors in Bangladeshi garment workers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three garments of BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cotton Industries Corporation) area, Kalurghat, Chattogram. A total of 200 workers were included in the study. A pretested, predesigned and mixed type of questionnaire and a mental health screening tool-Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) were used for the data collection. The data were analyzed by SPSS-version 23. The age range between 19-40 years and 63.50% of the respondents were from the age group 20-29 years. Most respondents (78.50%) were married, and 93.00% were Muslim. Most of the respondents hailed from urban areas (94.50%), and the highest number of the respondents were educated up to the secondary level 90 (45.00%), while very few 06 (3.00%) were uneducated. About half of the participants belonged to a joint family 84 (42.00%), and another half was from a nuclear family 116 (58.00%)—the highest number of workers working as the operators (38.50%). The prevalence of depression was 13.50%. The mild, moderate, and the severe depressive score was found in 19 (9.50%), 6 (3.00%), and 2 (1.00%) of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety was 35.50%. Mild, moderate, and severe anxiety score was found in 38 (19.00%), 27 (13.50%), and 6 (3.00%) of the participants respectively. The prevalence of stress was 13.50%. 15 (7.50%), 9 (4.50%), and 3 (1.50%) of the patients respectively have mild, moderate, and severe stress scores. Only 8 (29.63%) respondents reported having any stressful events in the last 12- months. The most frequently reported stressful event was the severe financial downfall (22.2%), followed by the Loss of a spouse, family member, or loved one in the last 12 months (7.4%), co-morbid condition like type 2 Diabetes (3.7%). Improvement of working environment in garments factory, promotion of occupational health, regular screening and interventions will help to reduce the burden of depression in garment workers. Keywords: DASS-21, Depression, Garment workers, BSCIC area