An Analytical Study of Health, Menstruation, and Mental Health Challenges Among Bhil Tribal Communities in Rajasthan

Abstract

Background: The complications of health, menstruation, and mental well-being are a truly little-studied field in the spectrum of tribal society of India, especially in the Bhil region. Grounded in lines of cultural muteness and structural pre-appointment, Bhil women and adolescent girls are frequently frustrated with compound problems concerned with reproductive and psychological fitness. Aims and Objectives: This study adopts a qualitative perspective of examining one community of people or one tribe in one area of interest (i.e., Banswara, Rajasthan) to find out how social silence, cultural beliefs, and institutional neglect converge to influence health. Setting and Design: This paper examines the realities of Bhil women regarding their menstruation, as well as access to health services and the absence of mental health discourse. Materials and Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted by using semi-structured interviews of 30 Bhil women in Banswara, Rajasthan, with the help of a review of NGO publications and national documents. Results: The results indicate that there is a strong taboo associated with menstruation, a lack of access to sanitary products, and a strong tendency towards seclusion. The number of people gaining access to healthcare is also hampered by its physical inaccessibility, coupled with the attitudes of using traditional healers. The study explains why culturally competent policies, locally based health efforts, and awareness-based community campaigns are desperately needed.