Mental Health of Indian Women: A Feminist Agenda

This pioneering book discusses the mental health of Indian women from the twin perspectives of feminism and the philosophy of the social sciences. While the author’s approach is primarily theoretical, the politics is explicitly feminist. The author’s primary aim is to establish a dialogue between feminism and professional work while stressing the importance of both non-institutional models of care and an inter-disciplinary approach to issues of mental health. Towards this end, Dr. Bhargavi Davar provides an interrogative review of data and documented material covering four broad areas: theory, research, clinical practice, and policy. Among the issues she covers are: The epidemiology of mental distress among Indian women; The aetiology of mental illness in terms of socio-demography, violence and culturally specific distress behaviours.; Gender bias in mental health services.; The female ‘self’ in the context of mental distress. In conclusion, the author argues forcefully for a gendered perspective in relation to the widespread and significant phenonmenon of mental distress among Indian women. Posing moral dilemmas for mental health practitioners from a feminist perspective, this book will attract a wide and varied readership–philosophers of the social sciences, psychiatrists, feminists, health workers, psychologists, counsellors, sociologists, and those involved with public health policy and the rights of the mentally ill."