Ethnographic Survey of Deliberate Self-Harm in Some Villages of Sundarban Delta, West Bengal.

An ethnographic survey of six villages of two developmental blocks of Sundarban region was done as a part of a cultural epidemiological mental health research for the development of a community mental health service in the region. It was noted that the deliberate self-harm (DSH), specially by pesticide poisoning is an emerging public health problem in the entire region. The present paper deals with the DSH findings, both attempted and completed, of village survey. Different socio-cultural dynamics of DSH is discussed with a view to develop a need-based community mental health service programme in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]