title: Social characteristics of psychological distress in a disadvantaged urban area of Kazakhstan.
abstract: The present study aimed to systematically assess the association of socio-economic characteristics and psychological distress in a disadvantaged urban area of a post-Soviet Republic. Psychological distress was assessed in a random sample of 200 persons, aged 18-57, living in a disadvantaged urban area of Kazakhstan using the General Health Questionnaire with 28 items (GHQ-28). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine the association of social characteristics and psychological distress. Female gender (P < 0.05), living without a partner (P < 0.01), higher age (P < 0.01), unemployment (P < 0.01), and low perceived income (P < 0.05) were associated with psychological distress in multivariate analyses. Non-Kazakh ethnicity (P < 0.05) was linked with psychological distress in bivariate analyses. The educational level was not significantly associated with psychological distress. Women, aged 38-57, living without partner and with low access to financial resources, were at a very high risk of psychological distress. Possibly due to social drift or status inconsistency, higher educational levels were not associated with lower levels of psychological distress in the disadvantaged area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication Skills, Psychotherapy, General and Medical Psychology, Kazakh National Medical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
authors.forename: Yuriy
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ignatyev
authors.forename: Marat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Assimov
authors.forename: Dauren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dochshanov
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ströhle
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinz
authors.forename: Adrian P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Mundt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003906:Developing Countries; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007623:Kazakhstan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors; D012847:Single Person / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult