5 Indian middle-class women and postpartum depression: understanding the influence of traditional gendered socialization

Background Globally the prevalence of postpartum depression amongst women ranges from 10%-15% per 1000 births. However, many middle-class Indian women are dismissive about postpartum depression, often seeing it as a ‘Western’ mental disorder and considering it as ‘medicalization’ of the post-birth experience. Objective Exploration of culturally specific expectations posed on Indian middle-class women in terms of what is mentally and physically permissible and non-permissible in ‘motherhood’ – how traditional gendered socialization influences women’s medical beliefs and results in their dismissive attitude towards postpartum depression. Method The researcher has conducted ethnography of seven middle-aged mothers based in Kolkata and their natal, conjugal and extended family members, to understand the expectations about biological ‘motherhood’ posed on women before and during their childbearing ages, women’s post-birth experiences and women’s sense of social and personal fulfilment in motherhood. Results Culturally women suffering from postpartum depression are denied a ‘sick role’ as suffering is often understood as a ‘social experience’ and not only as an individual physical or mental one. Hence not denying the existence or not disowning their own experiences of postpartum depression poses new mothers a risk of being ‘stigmatized’ as it threatens to taint the image of ‘motherhood’ as constructed by Indian society. The non-perception of ‘postpartum depression’ as a mental disorder needing medical intervention often stems from the ‘trust’ women seem to have on their gendered socialization which imbibes them with the idea that birth of one’s child is a joyful celebratory event – highest state of femininity, thereby shifting the focus from the mother to the newborn. Conclusion When women have high traditional gender role conformity it causes women’s social identity to overwhelm their personal identity - causing an ‘alienation’ from their own mental and physical needs in an effort to perform the socially mandated ‘ideal type’ of acceptable womanhood.