Women tend to have more anxiety when they are homemakers, as compared to male homemakers, said R. Mangala, psychiatrist at a panel discussion in Chennai on Saturday. She was speaking on “The Great Indian Homemaker: The Mental Load She Never Talks About,” at a webinar organised by Schizophrenia Research Foundation to commemorate International Women’s Day.
Sheena Rose, a young homemaker, said that the responsibility rests solely on her even when another person falls sick. “This would end up in us staying awake with them, to ensure that they are alright. We don’t get to sleep and instead have to continue with our routine. This affects us more going forward,” she added.
Dr. Mangala, noting this, pointed to a study which shows that women homemakers have many anxiety disorders which could stem from a relative falling sick, missing sleep, or finance. “This plays a large role in her mental health,” she added
R. Shanthi, a homemaker, spoke about how she is not able to speak about her struggles to anyone. “Sometimes I’ll wish I had a daughter so that I could talk about my struggles. These are some things that I cannot share with my daughter-in-law,” she said.
Pointing out that men need to step up, psychologist Aravind Garu said that Shanthi might not feel this way if men took up some responsibility. “They need to listen and not neglect what she’s saying. Men need to understand more and listen to her concerns instead of brushing them away. People forget who the homemaker actually works for. A simple role reversal in the dynamics would help the other person understand her struggle,” he added.
