WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN SOUTH ASIA: ASPECTS TO ADDRESS, ASSESS AND HISTORICISE 0 0

Abstract

The subject of women’s mental health has increasingly assumed significance in interdisciplinary discussions and deliberations to address and ameliorate the surge of mental health issues impacting the lives of women. Women’s range of experiences, roles and responsibilities which are alternatively biological, everyday/ mundane, accidental and/or coerced renders them unique – drawing upon the cumulative impact of these upon their mental well-being. There is a significant scope to work on the unique circumstances that shape and influence women’s mental health in South Asia. This paper seeks to present the relevance of gendered analysis of women’s mental health in South Asia and the first section reflects upon the urgency to engage with the different dimensions of recognizing and ameliorating mental health issues via interdisciplinary approach and analysis. The second section discusses the transitioning priorities of mental health concerns for females across the life span which are determined by both biological/ natural and experiential/ circumstantial factors. The third section presents recent data from India to illustrate how mental health is becoming an important concern among Indian women while simultaneously arguing that there continues to be serious challenges facing women to seek help for redressal. The final section presents how an historical approach and reading of sources can unravel nuances of women’s mental health that have remained shrouded for the paucity of an expressed sensitivity (or inadequate attention) towards historicising women’s mental health concerns/ articulations.