Abstract

Background: Insomnia is a really disturbing illness, leading to fatigue (mental and physical), with social, interpersonal, and professional impairment. Insomnia is among the most common symptoms seen in a primary care setting and is related to several psychological and behavioral factors. Insomnia and hypertension often coexist and it is recognized that stress contributes to blood pressure elevation.

Aims and Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence and severity of insomnia, level of mental distress, and proportion of hypertensive participants and to find out their interrelationships among adult residents of the urban field practice area of Medical College Hospital, Kolkata.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study of adult residents of the urban field practice area of Medical College Hospital, Kolkata. A pre-tested, structured, pre-validated schedule was used to interview 86 participants. Software called Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 21.0, was used to analyze the data.

Results: Thirty-six (41.86%) were suffering from clinical insomnia. Eighteen (20.92%) participants were pre-hypertensive and 30 (34.90) were hypertensive. Sixty participants had some levels of depression, 51 participants experienced varied levels of anxiety, and 36 were experiencing stress. Positive correlations were established between Insomnia and mental distress.

Conclusions: The findings of the study reveal a concerning prevalence of insomnia among participants. Our analysis shows insomnia to be more prevalent in older age groups, married individuals, and people living in mixed housing. Insomnia is more common among people with mental distress with most occurrance among individuals who are stressed, which emphasizes the importance of addressing insomnia within the broader concept of mental health.

Key words: Insomnia; Depression; Anxiety; Stress; Hypertension