Acknowledging submerged mental health trauma: Understanding the predicament of Indian housewives

In 2020 and 2021, there were extensive reports on the impact of COVID-19– That was a furious emergency. and its impact with job cuts, withdrawal symptoms, and most importantly, the sheer vulnerability of women and girls, within the confines of four walls. The nationwide lockdowns led to a 200% increase in domestic abuse reported by women. The coverage highlighted the urgent need for mental health support centersaccommodation options and ensure that the safety of women and children is incorporated into the health sector.

Cut to September 2022. The world is witnessing the aftermath of COVID 19 with its slow recovery of countries around the world, leaving behind a trail of death. mental health crisissuffering on the one hand, and countries coming together to respond, communities building networks for survival and research at this level for the first time, on the other, all over the world.

Unfortunately, it is once again women and young people who have gone unnoticed. In addition to girls dropping out of school, child marriages, the unraveling of decades of work, and the intergenerational cycle of abuse and nutritional deficiency that continues, it is housewives who have suffered most.

According to the NCRB report released in 2021, more than 45,000 women died by suicide in India, 23,000 of them are housewives. The report states that ‘Marriage Related Issues’ (specifically under ‘Dowry Related Issues’), ‘Impotence/Infertility’ recorded the highest proportion of female victims. The report’s other important observation is that suicides among young women (ie, up to age 30) account for 54 percent of all female suicides compared to 36 percent for young men.

This comes even as the nationwide suicide death rate for the year reached the highest level ever recorded: a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year. A total of 45,026 women died by suicide and of this number, housewives accounted for 23,178 cases. This rate is concerning not only because of the large number of cases, but also because these are made up of reported cases only. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of cases that go unreported due to the stigma associated with suicide.

The stigma associated with suicide is prevalent in both rural and urban areas, but most deaths by suicide occur only in urban areas. In most rural settlements, there is no proper police protocol for recording cases of death by suicide. Autopsies are not performed and most deaths from suicides are reported as accidental deaths. This is especially worse for women who face the brunt of domestic violence, gender-related exclusion and lack of agency. Self-immolation remains a method in which women outnumber men, with 2,435 cases reported in 2021. Poison is another common method used by women that remains less reported than men who primarily use hanging as a method. . While numerically men outnumber women in both cases, this is attributed to the larger male population.

When a conscious effort is made to take autonomy and decision-making away from women, their identities slowly begin to diminish. This affects their self-esteem, makes them feel more and more isolated and powerless. Women are expected to be the primary caregivers in most social settings, but they are never given the same kindness.

Multiple reasons could be attributed to the increase in suicide deaths among housewives in india. These range from domestic distress, financial abuse, to unidentified mental illness issues that go unrecognized until the end. The lack of agency and decision-making ability for most women also weighs heavily on them. Young women also face the challenges of limited educational opportunities, pressure for early marriage which could be reflected in a higher number of suicides among young women.

The first step in remedying this is correcting the data collection methodology to ensure complete and reliable data. This will help us understand the urgency of interventions and the demographics that require them. Suicide deaths are largely underreported and until this changes there is no scope for adequate redress.

Suicide is a complex biopsychosocial phenomenon that varies greatly across different demographics and populations, and must be understood in context for proper remediation. The second step would be to include different risks and possible causes of suicide attempts that particularly concern housewives and women. It is imperative to understand stigma in order to counteract it. Also, incorporating suicide prevention into all women’s wellness programs would be a necessary addition.

Finally, it is essential that a comprehensive, inclusive, National Suicide Prevention Strategy be released in India. With the right political attention, input from professionals and experts, and representation from affected groups, prevention can become a reality, leaving no one behind.

If you feel suicidal or have suicidal thoughts, help is available, contact the Sneha Suicide Prevention Helpline: 044-2464000 (24 hours)