Why do married women wish to commit suicide

In many developing countries, marriage is the source of a huge amount of stress for women. Some of the factors that may lead to suicidal behavior are:

• marriages at an early age (sometimes highly underaged)
• a lack of autonomy in choosing their partner (arranged marriage)
• dowry disputes
• being pressured to have children early in marriage (in many cases for a male offspring)
• economic dependence on husband and/or a joint family system
• financial issues
• domestic violence
• familial conflicts or disputes
• lack of control and power over one’s own life in general
• lack of equal rights

Young brides are very often taken away from their peers and parents, as they go to live with the groom after marriage. As a consequence, they do lose the supportive network of their own family and friends. They are subjected to early and unwanted sexual intercourse, and their innocence and youth makes them more vulnerable and likely to experience violence from their partners than people who marry later. All of these things put them at a greater risk of suicide.

Sources

• Felicitas Heyne, Psychologist
• Audiopedia ID: en020904