Challenges Young Women Face While Accessing Mental Healthcare

Young women face more challenges in preserving their mental health, despite the failure to access mental healthcare. Constant worry, panicking, unwavering sadness, hopelessness, rapid mood swings, withdrawing from social events are a few signs of mental health issues most of the time in young women.

The reasons could be suppressed feelings, childhood trauma, age-induced restrictions, and more. Few experts suggest young women are a high-risk group and link mental illness and existing gender inequalities, gendered violence, and discrimination reason behind growing distress. 

Numbers are depressing, as per a report, 70 percent of women falling in the age bracket of 15 to 49 years endure regular beating, rape, and coerced sex. A woman's reproductive roles like child-bearing, infertility and failure to deliver a male child could put her at risk of domestic violence or self harm. Even if numbers call for help, accessing mental healthcare is not easy. Young women face ample challenges in accessing mental healthcare as they endure greater scrutiny from the public. 

Young Women Accessing Mental Healthcare

“I remember, I was about to take a flight and suddenly felt anxious, breathing went haywire, and was shortly sobbing. I was aware and did not want to make a scene in public, but I couldn’t control it. I lost it at the plane stairwell and started panicking. Soon I had to face, what I was avoiding, People calmed me down and helped me to get back to the terminal. That very moment hit me I was not focusing on how to help myself, I was more concerned about not making a scene", says Bhawana Bisht, a media professional. 

Bisht has been dealing with severe anxiety issues for some time; panic attacks being frequent. Despite being vocal about it, she became distant from people. The airport incident was embarrassing for her but at the same, it hit her hard that she avoided her mental state, which needed utmost attention in the first place. Even being aware of the mental healthcare, she was unable to understand her state. 

Like Bisht, there are millions of women who know their symptoms but fail to navigate them. Women compared to men hustle in more than one way, trying to do it all. Women become so used to it, that it doesn’t seem like a problem. The burnouts and anxieties become regular. Finding a way to resolve it is not even a plan. The pressures and stigma make it more challenging to access health care for young girls.

Dr. Shweta Shelar, a practicing psychologist based in Pune, says, “Stigma prevails, no doubt in that, but most of the time problem lies within them itself. Young girls are hardly aware of mental health. They are uncertain whether they need mental healthcare or not. Till the time they get aware, it becomes too late. Only therapy doesn't work then. Even if they know about therapies, there is this notion-what people will think.”

Only 7.3 percent of its 365 million youth report such problems in India. The public stigma is largely associated with it, especially among young people. Mental healthcare awareness has increased post-COVID times but the stigma still exists. It first comes within and then from society. In women, it is quite normal to ignore health be it physical or mental. Hesitations are there to visit and routinely take therapy. 

Talking about stigma, In India, accessing healthcare is problematic in rural areas as well as urban slums, where poverty thrives, and mental healthcare comes last on the list. For young women, it becomes tough to access it, because they lack awareness of mental health. Also, why do these girls need it is always a question poised by older people.

Neha Jadhav recalls, “I was always lost, I felt aloof from conversations. It never felt problematic in my hometown. When I came to Pune, suddenly the surroundings made me realise, I am not well and being lost is not right.” Jadhav came for pursuing a Master's in Statistics in Pune. She slipped into depression over her childhood traumatic issues, which were entwined with her relationship problems. Jadhav was unaware of how to ask for help when in her hometown. These are a type of health issues she got to know in Pune, and after speaking to her college professor, who routed her to the therapist. 

Poonam, a clinical psychologist working with a Pune-based NGO opines, “Urban women are atleast aware but rural women don’t even understand when anxiety kicks in. Early marriage has been the biggest problem. Not having a career to do, disappointed with their father, or spouse, makes women feel worthless. Considering these issues, when there is no way out, they probably stay enduring the problems, or find self-harming or revenge as a way out in few cases.”

Poonam pointed out social conditioning is also a hindrance in accessing mental health care. A woman is never taught to prioritise their health, first its maternal family, then her spouse, and later her kids. This is the loop. 

Other than stigma, and lack of awareness, the two major issues while accessing healthcare are financial constraints and the involvement of family in the healing process. Jayali Wavhal says, “On average a therapy session costs Rs. 1000, and the number of sessions you'll need is not known. Complement this with low-paying jobs and other responsibilities you need money for- the system often compels you to put your health on the back burner.” Wavhal is a media professional, working in Delhi. According to her, not only money but involving close ones in the healing process is also a constraint.

Often the notion that women are supposed to be mature and endure pain hampers the accessibility. The social system means patriarchy inflicts on women. The trauma of living in a social system that rarely acknowledges the challenges women face on a daily basis is so easily normalised that women seeking therapy for the same don’t go down well. As a result, many women do not receive the expected support from friends and family that every woman must be craving in their healing process. It is true family’s support in healing journey could make therapy effective.

Mrudgandha Dixit says, “I family pushed me into getting counselling over my divorce. It worked, I was confused to make decisions. Therapy helped me not to feel guilty and choose my demands over sympathy for other people. I could prioritise myself instead of feeling guilty.” Mrudgandha Dixit is a lawyer working with a book publishing company. She navigated her anxieties and helplessness through therapy. Her parents played a major role in helping her to access healthcare.

Mental health issues in young women are due to external and internal factors. The restrictions, constant bickering, limitations on freedom and violence create these issues, which cannot get better on its own. It requires external help and therapy could be one. Bisht, Jadhav, Wavhal lacked resources, and were naive while they were accessing healthcare. It became more difficult, almost on the verge on giving up the healthcare and enduring it. While on other hand Dixit had support, which helped her get out of it smoothly. This help and support is given to every young women, accessing healthcare could be so much stigma free.

Suggested Reading- Seven Ways People Can Be Proactive With Their Mental Health