Psychosomatic Complaints among Married Women of Gilgit-Baltistan

Abstract

 Objective: The present study aims to explore the contributing factors to psychosomatic complaints, the prevalence of such complaints, and the coping mechanisms associated with them among married women in Gilgit-Baltistan.

Method. This research employed a qualitative descriptive design by thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with 16 participants. Moreover, a purposive sampling design was used to select married women aged 18 to 50 years from various districts of Gilgit-Baltistan. The study’s inclusion criteria required that the participant score at least moderately on the Psychosomatic Symptom Scale.

Results. the findings of this study highlight some common psychosomatic complaints that married women of Gilgit-Baltistan are facing, such as fatigue, muscle discomfort, stomach pain, sleep disturbance, and headache. Furthermore, these complaints were intensified by contributing factors such as financial challenges, social isolation, marital conflicts, and lack of emotional support. Moreover, limited healthcare access and social stigma discouraged women from getting professional medical treatment, which leads to a reliance on self-medication. This research further explains the coping mechanisms adopted by married women to deal with psychosomatic complaints.

Conclusion. This study underscores the importance of targeted mental health campaigns for married women in rural areas, promoting couple therapy and counselling to reduce spousal conflict and foster healthy relationships, and creating community support networks. This research provides a beneficial insight into the complex association between emotional distress and physical symptoms, which helps in broader discourse on married women’s mental and physical health in such remote areas and in a conservative society.