International STD Research & Reviews

Background: Dhat syndrome is a culture-bound syndrome characterized by various debilitating symptoms like loss of desire, low self-esteem, loss of interest in any activity, feelings of guilt, and lack of pleasure.

Aims:

1. To evaluate Sociodemographic profile of in patients of dhat syndrome.
2. To evaluate pattern of Sexual Quality of life in patients presenting with signs and symptoms of Dhat syndrome.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology and Department of Psychiatry, Shri Ram Murti Smarak, Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhojipura, Bareilly. It was a time-based study and we enrolled 153 individuals in our study over a period of 1 year (March 2021 – February 2022).

Methodology: The study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology and Department of Psychiatry, Shri Ram Murti Smarak, Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhojipura, Bareilly. SQOL-M questionnaire was used and findings were evaluated.

Results: This study yielded data for 153 patients with Dhat syndrome. Most of the patients belonged to younger age groups, belonging to rural backgrounds with lower socioeconomic classes. The mean SQOL-M score was 34.72 ± 5.38. There was significant variation amongage, marital status but no significant variation among education. Among patients between age group 16 - 35 years, 94.59% were anxious and 98.20% were worried, while 90.48% of the patients between 36 – 65 years felt like they have lost something.

Conclusion: Dhat syndrome has been prevalent in the world for a long time, especially in the Indian subcontinent. This study is an effort in evaluating the effect of Dhat syndrome on patients’ life. The sexual quality of life of most of the patients fell under good class.