Depressed Pak housewives fast falling prey to sleeping pills

Karachi, June 2 : Pakistani married women are fast falling prey to sleeping pills, so as to have mental relaxation from depression from domestic violence and inter-personal relationship problems, a new survey has found.

The most commonly drug in use here is Benzodiazepine, that is commonly referred to as 'sleeping pill' or pill that reduces anxiety and stress.

The survey, conducted by Aga Khan University's Department of Medicine, found that average patient addicted to such drug was about 36 years old. Nearly 60 percent of the patients were females, out of whom 34 percent were housewives, and 20 percent were students. 56 percent of patients committing deliberate self-harm were married, it was found, reported the Daily Times.

The survey was aimed at studying the characteristics of patients admitted with drug overdose caused either by accidental overdose of the prescribed medications or as an act of deliberate self-harm (DSH). A retrospective case series review was conducted at the AKUH from January 2002 to October 2006 with 324 adult patients.

Domestic and social issues were rated highest among DSH group, depression among females was common and Benzodiazepines (41 percent) was the most frequently used drug.

In Pakistan both, suicide and deliberate self harm, are illegal acts, punishable with a jail term and financial penalty. There are strong religious and socio-cultural norms against suicidal behaviour. But, despite this there is accumulating evidence that incidences of both suicide and deliberate self harm have increased in recent years.

The prevailing issues of poverty, unemployment, corruption, human rights violation, denial of justice, discrimination, violence, loosening of cohesion in society, which are on the rise, may be contributing to rise in suicidal tendencies in Pakistan, found the survey.

ANI