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and self-expression face a “double bind” where they are better mental health we need to bridge the gap
caught between honouring traditional expectations between traditional values and modern thinking. This
and pursuing their personal goals. For instance, the can be done by having conversations within families,
pressure to get married early or have children can be communities and workplaces.
stressful and anxiety-inducing especially for those
who want to delay marriage or childbirth to pursue 1. Open Communication: Intergenerational
their careers. Older women who have already lived conversations can help older women understand
through these societal roles may face the “empty nest the lives and dreams of younger women, reduce
syndrome” when children grow up and leave, leading misunderstandings and build empathy. For younger
to loneliness and feeling purposeless. They may also women, hearing the stories of older women can give
struggle to reconcile the changing roles of women them valuable lessons on resilience and adaptability
around them, find it hard to adjust to the new norms and give older women a sense of purpose and
and often feel alienated. validation.

Though mental health awareness is growing 2. Mental Health Education: Educating women
in India there are huge gaps in access to resources across generations about mental health can break
and services especially for women. Older women may the stigma. According to 2023 NFHS, 68% of young
not want to or feel ashamed to seek help due to the women in urban areas would seek mental health
stigma around mental health. Counselling or therapy support if there was no stigma, shows how important
is seen as unnecessary or indulgent which deters mental health literacy is.
women from acknowledging or addressing their 3. Support Systems and Resources: Organizations,
mental health issues. For younger women though non-profits and government can work together to
mental health services may be more accessible increase mental health resources available to women
societal attitudes can still make it difficult for them to in rural and urban areas. Special attention should be
openly seek help. given to create resources that cater to the mental
health needs of women across different generations.
Also, mental health care in India is urban- 4. Cultural Sensitivity in Mental Health Services:
centric. Generational differences in acceptance and Mental health professionals can offer culturally
understanding of mental health also play a role in sensitive counseling that acknowledges traditional
whether women feel comfortable seeking help. A values and modern challenges. This will bridge the
young woman may want to go for therapy but her generational gap and enable women to seek help
family may not allow her to, because of the older while respecting their roots.
generation’s perspective that mental health issues
should be managed privately or are even taboo. India’s generational gap poses a special
While younger women may be aware of mental health mental health challenge for women. Each generation
resources older women see mental health issues as has different views on autonomy, gender roles and
private family matters and are deterred by stigma from mental health but there are also opportunities for
seeking help. Mental health services are also skewed mutual support and understanding. By creating a
towards urban areas, with only 3 psychiatrists per culture that respects these diverse experiences, India
100,000 people in India’s rural areas as per the 2022 can build a more inclusive mental health framework
World Health Organization (WHO) report. For many that honors tradition and progress. Ultimately it will
women even thinking of therapy is constrained by need empathy, patience and spaces where women of
both generational attitudes and lack of resources. all ages can thrive mentally and emotionally.

To help women across generations have