Health Corner


Depression linked to gender stereotypes


By Arthur Okwemba C


ases of anxiety and depression, two leading mental health ill- nesses, are on the rise among women in some African coun- tries, thanks to the current dif-


ficulties in the economy, gender roles and violence. Findings of a study done at Ken- yatta National Hospital in Nairobi by the African Mental Health Foundation shows that 42% of adults and 41% of children who went to the facility were diagnosed with depression. Tis likely reflects what is hap- pening in other African countries. Prof. David Ndetei, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and the lead researcher for the study, says the depression was more preva-


80 | NEW AFRICAN WOMAN | WINTER 2011


lent in women than in men. Reasons vary, but he and other researchers say they can zero in on three main factors: gender roles, gender discrimination, and hormonal or reproductive health factors, which most people are unaware of. Women experiencing infertility, those


who experience sadness or anxiety aſter giving birth (especially when their male partners do not support them) and those steeped in poverty are more vulnerable to depression, according to the scientists. Studies show that couples, especially the women, are under intense pressure from their partners and in-laws to give birth, and that blame falls squarely on the wom-


an even if the cause of infertility is the man. Te resulting emotional, verbal or physical abuse can push women into depression. In South Africa, of 120 women participat- ing in a 2005 study titled ‘Psychological distress among women suffering from couple infertility in South Africa: a quanti- tative assessment’, 14.5% said their intimate partner had used physical violence against them. About 24% of the women, recruited from the infertility clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, said they faced verbal and/or emotional abuse. Another study in Zimbabwe, involving


172 women, found that 65% reported anxi- ety. Te women interviewed complained


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