ELECTION - A STRESSFUL LIFE EVENT

54 patients who sought consultation at this centre after developing psychiatric illness following local panchayat elections in Rajasthan were studied. The study aims to find out whether election is a stressful life event, relationship of socio-demographic characteristics, role of process of election, and nature of psychiatric illness as related to election stress. This group was compared to general psychiatric patients randomly selected from the same hospital, with or without other stressful life events (n=60). Socio-demographic variables, nature of their illness, ways of coping with the stress and relationship of predisposition to mental illness have been studied in both groups. Findings have been discussed and implications highlighted.