A study was undertaken to know the frequency of depression in hospitalized TB patients, its relation to various socio-cultural factors, duration and severity of the illness. Ninety-six proven male cases of pulmonary TB admitted in S.R.B.B.Y.A. Sadan, Bari, Udaipur from July-September 1975 were selected for the study. A structured psychiatric interview of these cases was done by a psychiatrist and the Hindi version of the Self-rating Depression Scale (S.D.S.) of Zung (1965) was administered. The raw scores obtained were converted into the S.D.S. index by a conversion chart as developed by Zung and his criteria were used for diagnosing the depression. Those patients who had a previous history of any psychiatric illness before developing pulmonary TB and patients developing psychiatric illness other than depression were excluded from the study. The minimum and maximum age limit was 21 and 59 years respectively. Of the 96 cases having pulmonary TB, 52 (54.17%) were found to be suffering from depression. The incidence of depression was higher in illiterates (65.4%) and farmers (84.7%). Depression was positively correlated with the duration and severity of pulmonary TB.

Three sets of questions pertaining to general aspects, diagnosis and treatment and, preventive aspects of TB were introduced to the general population, in Jaipur, to assess the extent of their knowledge about TB. A total of 1,000 persons, consisting of 740 males and 260 females, were interrogated in this survey. 380 belonged to rural areas and the rest to urban areas; 860 persons were literates and 140, illiterates; 650 came from a low socio-economic group in comparison to 350 from a better economic status. Responses in all the three sets were separately categorised as correct when more than 50 percent of the answers were correct. Analysis of all the answers was correlated with socio-economic factors. Though the urban population had better knowledge about general and diagnostic aspects of TB, both populations were poorly acquainted with its preventive aspects. General knowledge about TB was poor in the illiterate, low socio-economic population and high in the literate, high socio-economic group.

The findings of the Fifth TB Association of India’s SCC trial for the Jaipur Center were reanalysed. Sixty patients with pulmonary TB, who had not received any chemotherapy in the past, were divided into two groups. All the patients were put on isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide for 8 weeks followed by isoniazid and rifampicin for another 18 weeks. Group A patients were informed of the likely occurrence of anorexia and /or vomiting but Group B patients were not. Routine and default retrieval home visits were given to ensure maximal drug compliance.

Drug toxicity-related early defaults were significantly less common in Group A patients (1 of 30) as compared to group B (6 of 30).