Mental health status of women in Kerala.

Abstract

This study delves into the paradox of women’s mental health in Kerala, a state where women enjoy high societal status as indicated by literacy rate, Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), yet suffer from low mental health profiles. Despite the high development indicators, Kerala’s women have the highest rates of suicide and antidepressant consumption in India, as reported by the Indian Psychological Association. The research aims to understand the factors contributing to this low mental health status among Kerala’s women, using a gender lens and focusing on personal experiences and subjective feelings. It evaluates the mental health landscape of Keralite women and identifies the influencing factors. The research design is both descriptive and exploratory, employing a mixed-method approach for reliable and valid data. A quantitative survey using questionnaire among a sample of 300 married women from three districts of Kerala namely Malappuram, Kollam, and Ernakulam was conducted to assess the mental health status of women. Unstructured interviews with 50 study participants, 25 each from the High and Low Mental Health groups drawn from the initial sample of 300 women, followed by thematic analysis served to identify the factors affecting their mental health. The research strictly adhered to ethical guidelines and pandemic protocols during data collection. The study reveals that despite a higher proportion of women exhibiting high mental health, a significant number still have low mental health. The mean mental health score level of the sample is comparatively low, just above 50% of the total score. In a state with high education standards and other women's development indicators, a significant proportion of women having low mental health is a matter that needs special attention. Religion and income levels do not significantly impact women’s mental health, but a significant difference was found in the mental health of women belonging to different castes and employment status. The research identifies eight major factors to affect the mental health of the study participants. They are gender-based violence, unfulfilled aspirations, lack of economic independence, adjustment issues with husband and in-laws, alcoholism of husband, lack of supportfrom natal home, lack of confiding relationships and conflicts with patriarchal norms. These sociocultural factors apply to women in both High and Low Mental Health groups, but their frequency and severity differ among the study participants belonging to the two groups. Women with high mental health were also found to adopt a differential approach to distressing incidents in their lives, either accepting them as natural or as societal norms or having an indifferent attitude. Issues like postpartum depression and infertility were found to impact women’s mental health at specific periods in their lifetime. Role conflict and ruminating tendencies were also found to be higher among the women with low mental health.