Mental Health of Females in Pakistan

Hello,

I created this blog for my Mental Health Policy in Public Health class. The reason I chose this topic is because I feel mental health is not talked about in many cultures of pakistan. The perception of mental illness in Pakistan is that of medieval times. People draw connections from God, demons, or of past misbehavior to mental illness. Social attitudes (towards women) and cultural practices contribute to mental illness in many ways. Aside from religious conflicts-- arranged marriages, dowry, family values, and education are also major contributors. All of these factors play a big part in the daily lives of women in Pakistan. The marginalization of females on many levels of life has impacted the mental health on many levels. The culturally constructed norm of men being violent to women to exercise control has done significant damage. Current human rights issues to consider are honor killings, rape, forced marriages, and violence. As this blog progresses, I will be touching on each of these topics with relation to mental health of Pakistani women.