Status of Menstrual Health and Wellbeing among Women with Mental Illness.

Abstract

Background: Menstrual health is essential for women’s physical, emotional, and social wellbeing.Women with mental illness face greater challenges in managing menstruation due to difficulties in self-care and daily functioning. These challenges can lead to poor hygiene practices, irregular cycles, and increased discomfort. Globally, about 500 million women lack adequate menstrual hygiene facilities. In Bangladesh, low sanitary pad use and social barriers the need for more research and support for vulnerable women. Menstrual hygiene is still a problem in Bangladesh, where only 29% of women use sanitary pads and 30–35% of schoolgirls skip class due to social hurdles and poor facilities. Aim: To assess the menstrual health status, hygiene practices, and overall wellbeing related to menstruation among patients with mental illness. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 110 women with mental illness using purposive sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the MPNS-36 scale, covering material needs and environmental support. Descriptive statistics were used to assess menstrual health and wellbeing. Results: The average score across the total domain was 2.09, reflecting a moderate level of menstrual health and wellbeing among the participants. This implies that women with mental health issues some knowledge and awareness about menstrual health. The findings showed differences in menstrual hygiene practices. Participants scored higher in material and home environment demands (Mean = 3.36) and material reuse needs (Mean = 3.34), indicating good menstrual management at home. However, lower scores in material reliability (Mean = 2.04) and insecurity during changing and reuse suggest irregular changing habits and cleanliness issues, possibly influenced by the impact of mental illness on daily functioning.Challenges in material reliability (Mean = 2.04) and insecurity during change and reuse indicate that symptoms of mental illness may interfere with consistent menstrual care, including regular changing, cleanliness, and symptom management during menstruation. Transport and school environment demands were found to be major challenges (Mean = 0.84), indicating a very low level of menstrual health and wellbeing. Change and disposal insecurity, which suggests restricted access to sanitary, secure, and private facilities. These results demonstrate how managing menstrual hygiene and access to menstrual healthcare, especially outside the home, are severely limited by environmental barriers, a lack of mobility, and inadequate facilities. Conclusion: Women with mental illness face considerable barriers in achieving adequate menstrual health and wellbeing, particularly regarding mobility, environmental support, and safe disposal practices. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions, improved menstrual health education, and enhanced supportive facilities to promote safe and dignified menstrual hygiene management within mental health settings. Key Words: Mental illness, Menstrual health and wellbeing, Menstrual hygiene practice.