Depression among married women in Assam: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Women are at greater risk for depressive disorders than men. They are also known to be genetically and biologically vulnerable. Indian women mostly express their mental stress as somatic complaints and many other psychosocial factors influence as well as maintain the depressive symptoms. The psychosocial needs of women are often projected through the presentation of their depressive symptoms. Aim: The present study aimed to explore the psychosocial problems of married women diagnosed with depressive disorder. Methods: The study used a qualitative approach with exploratory research design. This study was carried out in the outpatient department of Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health in Tezpur (Assam). Purposive sampling was used and eight women were selected for the study. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore the psychosocial stressors, experiences, and illness narratives (idioms of distress) of these women. Among eight women who consented to participate in the study, six completed the study. Results: The salient findings of this study are that the women diagnosed with mild to moderate depressive disorders conveyed their mental health issues through various physical and emotional problems. Women expressed their problems primarily through somatic complaints, typically a variety of aches in different body parts, lethargy, excessive thinking, and decreased enthusiasm. Psychosocial factors centered around various social contexts and interpersonal issues, economic difficulties, marital difficulties and housing problems. Conclusion: The women’s narratives focuses predominantly on the socioeconomic and interpersonal difficulties as the underlying cause of their distressing symptoms is projective of psychosocial aberrations. Experiences expressed by women are located in their social world.