Violence against women, including intimate partner violence and sexual violence, is a serious global health concern. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, approximately 30 percent of women worldwide have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner or non-partner. This violence can have serious and long-lasting effects on women’s physical, mental, sexual and reproductive well-being. Read this also Bengaluru to top country in dowry harassment cases in 2023, according to NCRB data: Report
The good news is that violence against women can be prevented – and the healthcare sector plays a vital role in addressing this issue by providing comprehensive care to those women and connecting them to the support services they need. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Shruti Padhye, senior psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Initiative, shed light on some of the most common psychiatric triggers women face, such as domestic violence.
Domestic Violence: A Major Contributor to Trauma
She said, “In clinical practice, women consistently present with psychological symptoms underlying gender-specific stressors. The most common triggers are domestic violence (DV), perinatal mental illness, burden of care, and habitual relational trauma.”
“Domestic violence, both physical and emotional, is a significant contributing factor to complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, and major depressive disorder (MDD). Many survivors present with non-specific physical complaints – migraines, gastrointestinal torture, or habitual pain that often mask the underlying trauma. Clinicians should maintain a high index of habituation and use trauma-informed assessment tools such as That should use the Day-21, HTQ, or ACE score to identify latent torture,” Shruti explained.
Perinatal psychiatric conditions: a special concern
According to them, cultural and social stigma significantly influence women’s willingness to seek psychiatric help, especially during the perinatal period. Conditions such as postpartum depression, anxiety and psychosis require special attention, with risk factors including previous psychiatric history, lack of social support, traumatic experiences and hormonal fluctuations.
Shruti said, “Perinatal psychiatric conditions – especially postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety and postpartum psychosis – receive special attention. Risk factors include previous psychiatric history, lack of social support, traumatic personality and hormonal fluctuations. Screening with tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (ENDS) is essential for early detection.”
Caregiver stress: an increased risk
Additionally, caregiver stress, especially among ‘sandwich generation’ women caring for both senior citizens and children, increases the risk of depression, burnout and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), he said. “Caregiver stress, especially among sandwich-generation women caring for both seniors and children, increases the risk of adaptive disorders, relapse patterns, and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Stress without rest often results in impaired functioning and cognitive fatigue,” said Shruti.
She said stigma remains a significant barrier, with women often experiencing trauma due to fear of being labeled ‘unstable’ or losing custody of the child. This results in a delay in seeking help and more severe symptoms at presentation. Shruti said, “Artificial strategies remain a defense to watch. Women often internalize the torture due to inter-generational toil, fear of being labeled ‘unstable’ or losing guardianship of children. This leads to delays in seeking help and more serious donation at the point of care.”
Key Features of Woman-Centered Care
She said women-centric psychiatric wards should include several essential features to ensure safety, dignity and recovery. “To meet these unique needs, women-focused psychiatric wards must go beyond security,” she said, adding that medically, they should include:
⦿ Gender-sensitive input protocol.
⦿ Regular trauma assessment and violence risk assessment.
⦿ Provision for mother – clinging to the baby in postpartum cases.
⦿ Multidisciplinary brigade (psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, legal lawyer)
To provide holistic care, women-centric psychiatric wards can provide a range of services beyond medication, Shruti shared. She explained: “Holistic recovery requires access to affirmation-based psychotherapies such as CBT for trauma, DBT for emotion regulation, and EMDR for PTSD. Group therapies offer peer affirmation, while legal aid conferences, childcare services and occupational health benefits help restore autonomy.”
The power of trauma-informed care
According to her, staff training in trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and cultural competency is critical in ensuring that women receive compassionate, personalized care. She said, “Ultimately, staff must be trained in trauma-informed care, de-escalation methods, and artistic competence, ensuring that women are not treated as mere cases, but as individuals recovering from deep unsexed traumas. Creating equal space is both a clinical need and a social responsibility.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions you have about a medical condition.
