Women’s mental health
Women’s mental health is shaped by biology and circumstance together — hormonal change, caregiving expectations, work, and the common experience of being the person everyone else relies on.
This page is general information. Conditions relating to pregnancy, the period after birth, and the menopause often have a medical component and are best assessed by a doctor. The emotional and relationship side — strain, isolation, low mood, family pressure — is something I do work with.
Times when strain commonly rises
- Pregnancy and the year after birth, when low mood and anxiety are common and frequently unspoken
- The perimenopause and menopause, where mood changes are often mistaken for something else
- Caring for children and ageing parents at the same time
- Returning to work, or leaving it, and the identity shift either brings
- Marital strain, particularly where there is little support at home
What tends to help
- Saying it out loud. A great deal of women’s distress goes unspoken because it is assumed to be normal to cope. Naming it is where change starts.
- Separating hormones from circumstance. Both are usually involved. Treating one and ignoring the other rarely works.
- Support that is yours. Not support for the household or the children — time and attention for you specifically.
- Medical review where relevant. Thyroid function, anaemia and hormonal change all affect mood and are worth checking.
- Renegotiating the load. Often the practical distribution of work at home is the thing that actually has to change.
When to seek support
If low mood, anxiety or exhaustion has lasted several weeks, it deserves attention. This is particularly important in the year after childbirth, when support is effective and often not offered.
How I can help
I work with adults, couples and families, including marital difficulty and stress — and sessions are available in Hindi, English or Punjabi, whichever feels most natural.
If you need urgent help Counselling is not an emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services, or call Tele-MANAS, the Government of India mental health helpline, on 14416 (available 24 hours).