Shine the Light — On Mental Health and Pakistani Women
My name is Hira Khan, and I was born in Pakistan in January of 1990. I spent the first seven years of my life in Pakistan. My household included my mother, my father, and five of my siblings. We moved to the United States of America in May of 1997, and I have been in the country ever since. I identify as a Pakistani-American woman and associate with both cultures. I believe that Pakistani women face certain struggles that may have a negative impact on their mental health. I would like to first discuss how violence against women affects mental health and overall well-being for much of the Pakistani population. The second topic I want to discuss is how the mental health of Pakistanis and women is further affected by the negative stigma placed on mental health in society.
I have a lot of love for my own community which is why I feel like it is important to recognize societal issues that are hurting the Pakistani population. My mental health has personally been affected by these issues because I do not like to see anyone being mistreated. The issues that the Pakistani community face, along with many other communities, make me feel sad. However, I am hopeful that progress can be made if more Pakistanis with progressive mindsets influence the society. I have also had my fair share of dealing with both anxiety and depression during certain stages of my life which is why I feel like it is essential to recognize the burden they place on one’s mental health. In my opinion, mental health is a public health issue and needs to be recognized as one.
Research has shown that women are the more marginalized, oppressed, and victimized of the two genders in every single society around the world, and Pakistan is no exception.
Despite efforts by Non-Profit Organizations and Anti Government community organizations, violence against women remains a societal struggle in Pakistan. One of the main reasons why not enough progress has been made is because more efforts are being placed on “lawmaking” against violence on women instead of looking at the underlying factors that contribute to the violence. These underlying factors include an overall patriarchal mindset in society as well as other cultural or religious barriers. In my opinion, more progress will be made when we can change the mindsets of both women and men to believe that women are inherently equal to men.
Methods of influencing this patriarchy dominated mindset include education and exposure to the mentality that both genders are created equal and deserve equal rights. Educating the future generations will allow them to be more open-minded adults that can instill these values in their kids, become government officials that support equal rights, become school teachers that value women, and more. Truly, Instead of a top-down approach where you create laws and try to instill them onto society, a more bottom-up approach that eliminates the root cause might be more productive.
The patriarchal mentality, unequal right, and violence against women strongly affects the mental health of Pakistani women. Mental, emotional, and physical abuse may affect women mentally by giving them depression, anxiety, and affecting their self-esteem negatively. Promoting a society that believes women are equal and creating laws that support equal rights will positively reinforce women to use their mental skills and abilities to contribute significantly to the economy and society. In turn, a more productive society and economy will be created that will positively impact the mental health of both men and women.
Another societal issue that significantly impacts the mental health of both genders in Pakistan is the negative stigma revolving around mental health illnesses and treatment.
Developing countries in Asia, such as Pakistan have a higher prevalence of negative stigma attached to mental illness.
Cultural traditions and norms consider it taboo to even bring up the topic of mental health. One research study discovered that individuals with psychiatric illnesses tend to negatively self-stigmatize themselves, which prevents them from seeking professional treatment that could help. Children that have recognized they might need help often do not seek it out of fear of being shunned by society. The study revealed that there is widespread self-stigmatization among children who have psychiatric illnesses in Lahore, Pakistan.
Not being able to recognize or discuss the mental, emotional, or behavior issues brought about by mental illnesses poses a huge problem to the Pakistani society. If those individuals who are mentally or emotionally disturbed do not seek professional help, their mental health will be even more negatively affected. Failing to recognize and treat underlying mental disorders can possibly make them depressed, anxious, and affect their self-esteem. Individuals that might not be in their best mental, emotional, or behavioral state can start to view themselves as failures. Seeking treatment will help them lead more productive lives behaviorally and mentally. While focusing on adult treatment methods is important, treatment for mental disorders in children holds a unique value because mental illnesses are often rooted in a person’s childhood.
In conclusion, it is important to address societal factors that negatively impact Pakistani women’s mental health, such as violence against women and the patriarchal mindset. Efforts to educate the masses in the community might be more useful than creating laws and “enforcing” them on the community.
When laws are created, those that have a sexist attitude will not understand the reason behind WHY these laws are created and will be more likely to break them. In turn, violence against women will continue to be a problem.
Making the community understand WHY what they are doing is wrong will create open-minded individuals that do not contribute to a sexist society. Also, efforts to decrease the negative stigma revolving around mental health in adults and children in Pakistan will help more individuals enjoy the mental health benefits that come with recognition and treatment for their disorders.
