The Stree Arogya Shodh: investigating gynaecological morbidities and women's mental health in India

Abstract

Gynaecological complaints have long been associated with poor mental health, in particular depression and anxiety, in higher-income countries. Lower abdominal pain (both menstrual and non-menstrual) and pelvic pain are considered the hallmark gynaecological symptoms associated with somatoform, stress-related and neurotic disorders (the ‘common mental disorders', CMDs). Cultural and social factors heavily influence the expression of somatic symptoms and metaphors for emotional distress, but little is known about gynaecological psychosomatic clinical syndromes in non-Western cultures, despite the enormous global health significance of gynaecological symptoms. This paper considers the specific example of the syndrome of abnormal vaginal discharge (AVD) in India.

Distress Due to Nonpathological Vaginal Discharge: A New Face of Dhat Syndrome in Females

“…The studies have reported that patients believed that stopping consuming these foods could heal the vaginal discharge problem. 12,15,16,19,20…”

“…The women had reported that the sexual promiscuity of the woman or their husbands led to the development of vaginal discharge in women. 16,20,22…”

“…The presence of prominent somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depressive symptoms often masks the core beliefs resulting in misdiagnosis. 4,5,20,28 FDS needs to be differentiated from somatoform disorder as many patients present with prominent somatic symptoms. As the Dhat syndrome diagnosis is used in males, females with similar manifestations are often diagnosed as a somatoform disorder or anxiety disorder due to the convenience and lack of similar diagnostic categories in the diagnostic system.…”