Child marriages in Indonesia increase women's depression, research shows
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Tuesday, May 16, 2023
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But child marriage continues to be a harmful practice in many developing countries, where it is often seen as a necessity for survival.
Key Points:
- But child marriage continues to be a harmful practice in many developing countries, where it is often seen as a necessity for survival.
- Indonesia has a high incidence of child marriage in the Asia Pacific region, and the eighth highest in the world.
- My quantitative study in Indonesia shows that child marriage has a strong negative impact on women’s mental health.
Not so happily ever after for Indonesia’s child brides
- Previously, with parental permission girls were allowed to marry from 16 years old.
- Using data from more than 5,000 Indonesian women, I found that marrying early – particularly by age 18 – leads to higher depression.
- This is because, in addition to adverse impacts of child marriage on physical well being, it can also have a significant effect on the emotional wellbeing of girls.
Mental health effects
- They are often separated from their families and friends, and forced to live with their husband and his family, increasing their risk of social isolation.
- According to psychological research, being constantly exposed to such adverse and stressful experiences can negatively affect mental health, leading to disorders such as depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
Gender discrimination
- This refers to the low ratio of women to men in the population of developing countries.
- Child marriage is often the result of gender inequality, disproportionately affecting women and aggravating mental health problems such as depression and severe stress.
Protecting against lasting harm from child marriage
- Importantly, the findings provide insights into laws and policies targeted at ending child marriage.
- Specifically, it supports the rationale behind Indonesia’s recent policy of raising the minimum age for girls to marry from 16 to 19 years – a crucial step towards eradicating child marriage in Indonesia.