Women's Empowerment and Mental Health: A Cross-sectional Study among Married Women in Delhi

Background : Women have been one of the most vulnerable groups globally. Despite global evidence linking empowerment to mental health, research on this relationship among Indian women is lacking. This study investigates the association between women’s empowerment and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress) among married women in Delhi, India. Methodology : A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at urban and rural healthcare facilities in Delhi, including 200 married women (aged 18–59 years). Empowerment was assessed using the Women Empowerment Interview Schedule (WEIS), and mental health outcomes were measured via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Data were collected using epicollect, and analyzed using R. Results : Overall, 63% of participants exhibited high empowerment, with the personal/family dimension scoring highest (82.5%), while participants were minimally empowered in the political and legal dimensions (1% and 6.5%, respectively). Mental health disorders were prevalent in 34.5% of participants (depression: 23.5%, anxiety: 24%, stress: 11.5%). Significant inverse associations were observed with women having poor empowerment having higher rates of depression. Conclusion : Higher empowerment is associated with improved mental health outcomes among married women in Delhi. Targeted interventions like community support groups, and mental health screening, initiatives to empower women economically are recommended to empower women and reduce their mental health problems.