ASSESSMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH IN A COMMUNITY SAMPLE FROM GILGIT-BALTISTAN PAKISTAN: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: This study was conducted to explore and compare the level of mental health in all the districts of Gilgit Baltistan (GB). Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Based at CMH Gilgit, all districts of GB were visited between Mar and Dec 2016. Material and Methods: Data were collected from consenting adults in community setting by administering mental health inventory (MHI). Data were compared with the population mean and inter-district comparisons were performed. Results: A total of 370 (186 males) participants, age ranging from 17 to 80 years (M = 28.54 ± 11.27). Out of these, 240 (64.8%) were married and their education levels ranged from 5 to 16 years of schooling. Males (t=4.5, p<0.001) & married participants (t=2-07, p