The Silent struggle: Psychological impact of widowhood on the life of women in India

Abstract

In patriarchal societies, women are subjected to cruel atrocities that affect them psychologically. Most importantly, when a woman falls into the unfortunate state of widowhood in a male-dominated society like India, it is considered as social stigma. Despite advances in living standards, conditions for widows in society remain deplorable. Many conservative families view widows as a liability. The fact that widowed women suffer from various psychological stresses is often ignored. Several studies have found that such stressors can be harbingers of psychiatric illness (e.g., depression, anxiety, drug addiction). They are culturally, socially, economically, and legally marginalized. On one hand, they have lost their spouses, and on the other hand, they face discrimination of various types and degrees. Against this background, this paper is an attempt to describe the vulnerability of widows in India. The paper is largely based on a review of various reports, literature and papers on the status and welfare of widows in India. In this paper, we have also examined the relationship between widowhood and self-rated health (SRH), psychological distress and cognitive ability.