Mental health and marital relationship among women in an industrial factory of Bang Phli Industrial Estate, Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

Background: Privious studies have indicated a significantly higher rate of mental problems in female factory workers, 2 - 3 times of their male counterparts. They suffered from an array of issues, especially depression, anxiety, and stress. There is also an increasing divorce rate among them, as a result of poor marital relationships. Nevertheless, there have been quite a limited amount of studies conducted on mental health and marital problems in female factory workers in Thailand.

Objectives: To study mental health and marital relationships of female factory workers from an industrial factory in the Bang Phli industrial estate, Samut Prakarn Province.

Methods: Data were collected from 148 female workers employed under an industrial factory in the Bang Phli Industrial Estate, Samut Prakarn Province through self-rating questionnaires consisting of, name:

1. A questionnaire on general personal information;

2. Thai depression anxiety stress scale (Thai DASS-21);

3. Thai dyadic adjustment scale (Thai DAS). All data were analyzed by Chi square, Fisher’s exact test and Multiple linear regression.

Results: The major findings revealed that most participants had mental health of a normal level. 35.8% of participants were found with depression, 45.6% with anxiety; 27.2% with stress; 17.6% were in all of mental health states. 89.1% had medium rated scores of marital relationship. Factors related to depressive state were husbands’ relatives. Factors related to their anxiety include consumption of alcohol, husband’s’ loyalty, and being subjected to husband’s verbal abuse. Factors related to stress include working-hours on average per day and consumption of alcohol. Determining factors of depression was husbands’ relatives. Determining factors of anxiety included; alcohol consumption and husband’s verbal abuse. The determining factor of stress was alcohol consumption. The determining factor of marital relationship included; age, financial status, husbands’ habit of gambling or lottery betting, husbands’ verbal abuse and depression.

Conclusion: More than 1 in 3 of female workers in factories are in depressive, anxious, and stressful states. Marital relationships were found in the middle range. This study could be a reference for entrepreneurs and health promotion service units to realize the importance of paying attention to mental health status and marital relationships through mental health screening and Establishment of a counseling center provide suitable assistance to factory workers in the future.