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Dr Chido Rwafa Mental Wellness
As discussed in previous articles, mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a meaningful contribution to their community.
Women are an integral part of our communities and their health and well-being influences the well-being of the community as a whole.
Women play vital roles in child rearing, development and early education; family functioning and community building.
A woman at ease in her mind can be a vibrant, powerful force in building and transforming our societies.
Mental illness in women impacts families and communities significantly due to the complex role women play.
Factors affecting the mental health of girls and women can be biological, social or cultural. Hormonal changes that occur during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy can affect women’s mental health.
The lower social status of women, which is still unfortunately the norm in many of our communities leads to a lack of autonomy and a lack of self determination which can also impact women’s mental well-being.
Sadly, many women still struggle to get access to education and this then compromises their socio-economic positions.
Poverty can limit a woman’s options and lead her to compromise. This lack of autonomy can also be a risk factor for depression and other common mental health problems.
Women who work outside the home may still face challenges of lower paid work compared to men as well. Women also have to bear with much of the “unpaid work” of life . . . caring for the sick, household chores, early childhood education and monitoring of education in older children.
All this contributes to women’s mental health challenges.
Additionally, due to rapid changes in our social and cultural structures many women have lost traditional support structures.
Children truly used to be raised by the village or community, but we now have become more nuclear in our family structures with little if any support from family or friends.
This can increase the risk of stress, depression, anxiety and other common mental health problems as well.
Women also have physical and emotional vulnerability to abuse in the form of domestic violence which can be verbal, financial, physical and sexual.
All forms of abuse can result in psychological consequences including depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder.
Gender plays an important factor in mental health, the pattern of mental illness, how the mental health problem presents and the impact of mental illness on a woman and those around her.
Some mental health challenges are more common in women, women are twice as likely to become depressed and anxious, women are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress symptoms after experiencing traumatic or life-threatening events.
Some mental health conditions are unique to women, these include mental health challenges that happen in relation to the menstrual cycle such as premenstrual symptoms and premenstrual dysphoria, mental health challenges that happen during pregnancy and soon after pregnancy (peripartum conditions).
Later in life as women experience menopause, they may develop mental health challenges as well. Women may also experience symptoms differently to men particularly with alcohol and substance use disorders where women are more likely to develop complications of alcohol or substance abuse earlier than men.
Hormonal changes that control the menstrual cycle may cause symptoms of sadness, anxiety, irritability and anger in some women.
The week before the menstrual bleed, some women may experience both physical and emotional premenstrual symptoms.
In some women this can be quite severe resulting in Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder which may need treatment. These cyclical mood changes may result in a feeling of lack of control over one’s emotions and can put relationships under much strain as spouses and family may misunderstand what is happening to the woman.
When women are pregnant, hormonal and physical body changes of pregnancy increase the risk of depression, particularly in women who may have had depression in the past, women who may have poor social support or women faced with many stressors during their pregnancy.
The symptoms of depression such as mood changes, irritability, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, changes in appetite and difficulty concentrating can be mistaken as “normal” aspects of pregnancy and this can make it difficult for a woman to get help if she needs it.
The rapid hormonal changes that occur after birth, the challenges of breastfeeding and caring for an infant can result in “baby blues” in the initial days post-delivery.
In some women this may continue as post-natal depression and sometimes into post natal psychosis, this risk can continue up to two years after delivery of a baby and women who have two or more children under the age of five may have even greater risk of developing post-natal depression and other perinatal mental health challenges.
It is critical that women get help for post natal mental health challenges promptly as this can also affect the emotional and physical development of her children.
A mentally unhealthy mother will struggle to raise happy, healthy children.
Later in life the hormonal changes that occur as a woman progresses from being fertile to being post fertile can trigger depression.
Women’s bodies will change significantly during menopause and this can affect self-confidence. This is a period when many women become grandmothers and transition into greater matriarchal roles.
This can bring its own set of demands and strain that can trigger or worsen depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.
What can help protect women’s mental health?
It is vital as women to have emotional connection with family and friends, we are not designed to live in isolation and a strong social support network helps us to bear the challenges of life and manage stress.
It is also important for a woman to have sense of autonomy and self-determination, to be empowered and for their voice to be heard in their family and their community.
A safe, enabling, empowering environment free from physical and emotional abuse can help protect women’s mental well-being.
We need to overcome stigma and fear concerning mental health challenges.
We fear what we do not understand and there are many cultural beliefs about mental illness and that may make us feel stigmatized and embarrassed to seek help.
We also can’t seek help for something we don’t perceive to be a problem. As we gain greater understanding about mental health problems we empower ourselves.
Knowledge brings understanding and empowerment. We often hear people saying . . . it’s not “that bad.” As with most health problems, its best to seek help in the early stages of a condition than at its worst.
Lets seek help before it gets “that bad.”
If you or a woman you know may be struggling with mental health challenges, please contact your nearest health care provider.
l Dr. Chido Rwafa-Madzvamutse +263714987729. www.ahfoz.org; [email protected]
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