A Comparison of Screening Tests for Quantifying Psychological Maladjustments in Blind Subjects

Background: A very substantial lack of manpower trained in psychology, psychiatry, social sciences and related fields has been the real hurdle in expanding the mental health research beyond the mental health hospital and the psychiatric clinics. The research was undertaken with a view to compare the two screening tests for quantifying psychological maladjustments. Objective: To compare the two screening tests personality based hardiness index and self -reporting questionnaire for quantifying psychological maladjustments. Material and methods: It was a cross-sectional study carried out among blind people in blind schools in Maharashtra. All blind people enrolled in the blind schools were the study participants. Data was collected from the students using a validated personality based hardiness index and Self reporting  questionnaire, another screening test. Statistical analysis was done using Fishers Exact test, X2 test. Results: It was found that there was statistically highly significant association between the two screening test results. (personality based hardiness index and self reporting questionnaire) When fisher’s exact test of significance was applied to the about data results were statistically highly significant, p=0.00000109 proving that there was high level of agreement between two. This seems to indicate that a non- hardy personality and presence of psychiatric morbidity coexist more frequently. Conclusion: It can be concluded that SRQ + persons may be non- hardy or vice versa as there is a significant negative correlation between hardiness and psychological distress among medical students.