“The Day I Die Is The Day I Will Find My Peace”: Narratives of Family, Marriage, and Violence Among Women Living With Serious Mental Illness in India

Abstract

In India, there is limited research on the nature of familial relationships and domestic violence that women living with serious mental illness (SMI) experience. Using the self-in-relation theory and through 34 in-depth interviews, I explored narratives related to family, marriage, and violence in familial relationships among women living with SMI at a psychiatric institution in an urban city in India. These narratives are critical because they highlight how the presence of mental illness exacerbates the violence women experience. Informed by participants’ narratives, I offer specific recommendations on creating gender-sensitive mental health care that is mindful of women’s social realities.