Psycho Social Aspects of Tribal Unwed Mothers

Introduction: The presence of unwed mothers is a major problem that the tribal communities face today in Wayanadu. They are experiencing Multiple Social, Psychological, Economical and Educational disadvantage. The authors have studied socio-demographic profile and assessed the Self-esteemand psychological distress of this vulnerable group. Methods: the study follows cross sectional descriptive design, a sample of 40 respondents were interviewed through a proforma to collect socio-demographic details and administered Rosen Berg Self-esteem scale and self-reporting questionnaire to assess psychological distress. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation. Results: The socio demographic profile shows that majority of the unwed women are illiterate ad in the productive age group with low income and there is negative co-relation between self-esteem and psychological distress. Conclusion: Poor self-esteem is associated with a broad range of mental disorders like depression, suicide, eating disorders and anxiety. It is argued that an understanding of the development of self-esteem, its active protection and promotion are critical to the both mental and physical health. Hence, it hoped that the present study will be of great use in alleviating the distress associated with the unwed motherhood and promoting their Self-esteem and quality of life by addressing their psycho social concerns.