Effects of Mental Health Stigma on Marriages in Bahrain

Increased awareness of the effects of mental health stigma is felt in many parts of the world including Arab countries. In this article, I will shed the light on the effects of mental health stigma in Bahrain.

Bahrain is a small island country located in the Gulf. Most of the citizens of Bahrain are conservative Muslims.

In recent years, Bahrain has seen a great deal of modernization in education, health care and telecommunication. While Bahrain is seen as more liberal compared to most of its neighbors, it is still considered a conservative society with strong religious values compared to Western societies.

“Mental Disorder's Stigma can be divided into two distinct types:

1. Social Stigma, is characterized by prejudicial attitude and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given.

2. Perceived stigma or self stigma is the internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination, and perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatment outcomes”1

Marriage in the Bahraini society is almost always based on the local tradition of arranged marriage. Arranged marriages in Bahrain usually depend on the decision of the two families in which the couple belong to. This trend is changing in recent years, however, as families are increasingly giving their sons and daughters the freedom to choose their partners.

In some conservative families, suffering from mental disorders, even if the disorder is not severe like psychosis, can be enough reason to refuse going ahead with the marriage because of the stigma associated with mental disorders.

There are many stories that describe the social difficulties those with mental illness face because of their condition.

You may hear about a husband who filed for divorce because he was not aware of his wife's mental condition, which was major depression, before marrying her. He would argue that in case he knew, he would not have considered marrying her.

This case sheds the light on a side of the stigma. It is a clear example of the rejection from some individuals towards those with mental illness. On the other hand, both partners in a marriage have the right to know as much as possible about the other partner's life and health conditions.

However, that is not enough justification for the husband's behavior. He should view his

wife's mental illness as any other illness that someone might take or suffer from and treat her based on that.

There is another real story, a 30-year-old well educated man, married to a 26-year-old

woman. He observed strange/abnormal behaviors which were very disturbing. A problem

arose from the wife’s parents when he suggested that she should visit a mental health

professional to discuss her behavior.

In this case, the husband tried, for a long period of time to convince the wife and her family in the need to consult a mental health professional in order to save their marriage but his attempts were unsuccessful.

It is worth noting that stigma affects those suffering from mental illness too, because she was shocked and condemned him for even suggesting a treatment. This could indicate that she might have "internalized" the stigma towards being treated from mental illness. It is clear that this process, internalization, is common among those with mental illness simply because they are part of the societies that stigmatizes mental disorders.

Can stigma be eradicated in Bahrain? The effect of the stigma of mental disorders in Bahrain is similar to the stigma in many Middle-eastern societies. Stigma could be defeated by bringing up the issue in the spotlight to give it more exposure and elicit public debate. This would, as a result, reduce public sensitivity to the matter.