IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH OF WOMEN FACING POLYGAMY

IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH OF WOMEN FACING POLYGAMY

Article 10 based on the data published by BMMA in ‘Breaking the Silence’ https://notionpress.com/in/read/breaking-the-silence-1410178808-1410178808 

Physical and mental health are inextricably intertwined. One impacts the other in many significant ways. At the outset of the study we were very sure that we wanted to look at the impact on the women’s mental health. Largely the concerns with regards to polygamy are legal, social and economic which are important and must be looked at. But what gets missed out is the personal impact. What is happening to a wife’s mind and body when she is betrayed and abandoned. The impact is not just socio-economic but also so deeply felt within her consciousness.

As seen in previous articles, the first wife does tend to suffer more and that is proved in case of her mental health as well. 58% of first wives as compared to 35% of second wives experienced sleeplessness. Almost 50% reported increase in anger as compared to 31% of second wives. 48% of first wives experienced anxiety and worry as compared to 24% of second wives. We see such similar figures for sadness and helplessness [36% and 9%] and [29% and 11%] respectively. It is noteworthy that the figures for feeling disrespected and devalued are not too far apart in the first and the second wife. 19% of first wives and 13% of second wives felt disrespected and devalued. And this only a woman can understand. Whether first or second human dignity goes for a toss here. Each feels that the other woman is more important in her husband’s life. It is an interesting point for men to ponder. For a moment each man who is reading this article must close his eyes to connect with his feelings when he imagines his wife to be a wife of some other man as well. What are the feelings? Are they ok with it? Are they jeolous, feeling disrespected, feeling angry, what is happening to their natural normal human ego? What is happening to their body as they experience these emotions?

            Let us look at the figures.

·       Across every mental health indicator, first wives show substantially higher distress levels than second wives.

·       The most severe disparities are seen in depression (36.2% vs 9.1%), sleeplessness (58.3% vs 34.9%), and anxiety (47.9% vs 23.9%), reflecting the psychological trauma of emotional rejection after the husband’s remarriage.

·       Suicidal ideation (8.4%) among first wives is a major concern, highlighting the mental health crisis linked to polygamy.

·       Although second wives also experience stress, their relatively lower rates indicate greater emotional security in early stages of the relationship.

·       Overall, the data underscores that polygamous marriages severely affect women’s mental well-being, with first wives bearing the brunt of emotional, psychological, and social harm.

Mental health issues are much more prevalent among first wives than second wives in almost all categories. Sleeplessness, anger, and anxiety are the most common mental health challenges, affecting over 70% of women overall.

How do wives cope with the stress of being the first or the second wife.

Faith-based coping dominates: A significant portion of women, especially first wives (35.2%), turn to religion and prayer as a primary mental health strategy. This suggests that spirituality provides emotional comfort in the absence of formal mental health support. It is a sad reflection on other social institutions like family and state who fail to provide support which a woman than has to seek from spiritual sources. One is tangible, in the here and now, in the physical world but that is not available to a distressed women. And one that is in the spiritual realm, is unseen and unknown provides succor to women. It is such a sad reality. It shows we have failed as human beings. We are supposed to be there for each other, hold up each other, have each other’s back but eventually the unknown has to pitch in where humans failed.

Social support systems more utilized by first wives; second wives may have weaker family backing, 18% verses 11%.

Low professional intervention: Only 15.6% of first wives and 5.2% of second wives sought counselling or therapy, highlighting limited awareness, access, and acceptance of mental health services. Again we see more first wives seeking intervention.

Medical dependency: Over one-fourth of first wives (26.7%) use medication, reflecting chronic anxiety, depression, or insomnia, often requiring pharmacological support. At 21% second wives are not lagging too far behind as they too start to depend on medication.

High inaction rate: Alarmingly, 34.5% of first wives and 55.5% of second wives did nothing to address their mental distress. This suggests a severe gap in mental health outreach, stigma, and possibly acceptance of suffering as fate.

Use of harmful substances: Though relatively low, 4.9%–6.2% resorting to harmful coping reflects self-destructive behavior arising from unaddressed emotional pain. Slightly higher among second wives — possibly reflecting guilt, insecurity, or coping through harmful means.

The data reveals a major mental health crisis among women in polygamous marriages, with spiritual coping outweighing professional or therapeutic help.
First wives appear more proactive in seeking relief, but both groups face barriers to mental healthcare such as stigma, lack of access, and normalization of emotional suffering.

The findings highlight the urgent need for:

• Culturally sensitive mental health programs targeting polygamous households
• Community-based counselling and awareness, and
• Integration of faith leaders in mental health advocacy to bridge the gap between spirituality and psychological support.