Last Updated on January 4, 2024 by Neelam Singh
In 2021, a study found that more than 1 in 5 women in India experience some sort of mental health condition, such as depression and anxiety. The harsh truth is that some mental health conditions i.e., depression and Bi-Polar disorder affect women more than men. Also, there are certain types of disorders that are exclusive to women. For example, women may experience symptoms of these disorders at the time of hormonal changes, such as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopause-related depression. Physiological changes, as well as societal issues such as poverty, sexual abuse, stress, intimate partner violence, and so on, make women more vulnerable.
In 2017, every seventh Indian was affected by some form of mental disorder in varying degrees. Among all the classifications of mental disorders in India, idiopathic developmental intellectual disability followed by depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders reflected the highest shares. By contrast, schizophrenia and eating disorders represented the lowest shares.
What lies beneath
A study conducted by the Word Health Organization in 2015 shows that one in five Indians may suffer from depression in their lifetime, equivalent to 200 million people. Due to the stigma associated with mental illness, a lack of awareness, and limited access to professional help, only 10-12% of these sufferers will seek help. Following are the factors that contribute to mental disorders of women:
1. Discrimination, stress, and traumatic experiences
Issues like gender discrimination, gendered violence, and mistreatment of women directly affect women’s mental health. Women who are exposed to violence are three to four times more likely to develop depression. Research shows that women perform more than their fair share of household work and childcare along with office work which increases their stress levels. Stress is a strong predictor of mental illness and can erode women’s coping abilities and self-esteem in the long run.
2. Hormonal issues
According to some studies, hormonal differences between men and women may contribute to mental illness. Women, for instance, tend to release less serotonin than men, probably as a result of hormonal changes. There is a direct link between serotonin levels and a wide variety of mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety.
3. Pregnancy & Parenting
The physiological changes that women go through during pregnancy and childbirth are simply incredible. As many as 41% of women experience some type of postpartum depression, implying that physiological changes are likely to have a role in mental illness. Unsupportive spouses, poverty, traumatic family life, further add a lot of stress to postpartum mental health disorders.
4. Violence and abuse
According to a United Nations report, around two-third of married women in India were victims of domestic violence. The common forms of violence against Indian women include female foeticide (selective abortion based on the fetus’ gender or sex selection of child), domestic violence, dowry death or harassment, mental and physical torture, sexual trafficking, and public humiliation. The reproductive roles of women, such as their expected role of bearing children, the consequences of infertility, and the failure to produce a male child have been linked to wife battering and female suicide.
In a recent survey conducted in 2019, it has been found that today’s youth suffer from more health and mental issues than ever before. The Covid-19 phase left a negative psychological impact on the Indian population. It has affected every dimension of their lifestyle, i.e. levels of physical activity, sleep cycles, nutrition, and their social lives. To cope with this paradigm shift, long bouts of stress caused by enforced isolation, financial stress, job cuts, along with unhealthy lifestyles were the precursors for depression and anxiety.
For improved mental health
The mental health of women cannot be considered in isolation from social, political, and economic issues.
● Education, training, and interventions targeting the social and physical environment are crucial for addressing women’s mental health.
● Eating a nutritious and healthy diet helps lessen mood fluctuations, improving the ability to focus and promoting an overall happier outlook. Green leafy vegetables, salmon, fruits, and legumes are great brain foods.
● Exercising regularly helps improve cognitive functions. According to studies, there is approximately a 20% to 30% lower risk of depression and dementia for adults participating in daily physical activity.
● Getting enough sleep is related to better mood and enhanced well-being. Getting inadequate sleep can result in irritability and mood swings.
● Practicing mindfulness helps with our overall mental and physical health.
● Building a support system means having a group of people to practically support you emotionally. It helps in reducing stress and building self concept.
It is essential to develop and adopt strategies that target the social status of women, remove gender disparities, provide economic and political power, increase awareness of their rights, and so on. Concerted efforts at social, political, economic, and legal levels can bring change in the lives of Indian women and contribute to the improvement of their mental health.
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