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Physical Health Issues, Mental Health Challenges, Resilience, and
Psychological Well-Being among Tribal Women
1
Dr. Jaimala Ashok Sode.,
2
Dr. Mrunal A. Bhardwaj
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology & Research Centre Loknete Vyankatrao Hiray Arts,
Science & Commerce College, Panchavati, Nashik Dist- Nashik, State – Maharashtra Affiliated to
Savitribai Phule Pune University
2
Principal Mahatma Gandhi Vidyamandir’s Arts, Commerce & Science College, Malegaon City,
Malegaon Dist- Nashik, State – Maharashtra Affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2025.100900013
Received: 16 September 2025; Accepted: 23 September 2025; Published: 10 October 2025
ABSTRACT
Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between physical health, mental health and
psychological well-being among tribal women.
Material and Methods: The total sample consisted 60 tribal women from age group of 25-40 yrs representing
diverse denotified tribes includes koli, ramoshi, banjara, adhivasi, Bhilla located in tribal areas in Nashik
district of Maharashtra. For examine the physical health of tribal women researcher conducted interview along
with self-prepared personal data sheet. For examination of Mental Health Challenges Anxiety, Depression, and
Stress Scale (ADSS) by Pallavi Bhatnagar, Megha Singh, Manoj Panday, Sandhya, and Amitabh, Resilience
Scale (RS) by Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi & Dr. Shruti Narain and Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) by Dr.
Devendra Singh Sisodia and Pooja Choudhary were used.
Statistical Analysis: Descriptive, inferential and correlational statistical analyses were used for observing
relationship. Pearson product movement correlation was applied to check the relationship between physical
health issues, mental health challenges level of resilience and psychological well-being among tribal women.
Result & Conclusion: The research finding shows that there is a high level of physical health issues such as
gynecological problems, anemia, menstrual difficulties, iron and nutritional deficiencies, and infectious
diseases among tribal women. There is a high level of anxiety, depression, and low level of stress as mental
health challenges among tribal women. There is a positive correlation between physical health issues and
mental health challenges (anxiety, depression, and stress) among tribal women. There is a negative correlation
between physical health issues and the level of resilience among tribal women.There is a negative correlation
between physical health issues and psychological well-being among tribal women.
Keywords: Physical health Issues, Mental Health Challenges, Resilience, Psychological Well-being and Tribal
women
INTRODUCTION
Tribal communities often face unique challenges, including limited access to healthcare, socioeconomic
disparities, cultural marginalization, and historical trauma, which can significantly impact their overall well-
being. Understanding and addressing the interplay between physical health, mental health, resilience, and well-
being are crucial for promoting holistic health outcomes among tribal women.
Physical Health: Physical health refers to the overall condition of an individual's body and encompasses
various aspects such as nutrition, fitness, disease prevention, and access to healthcare. For tribal women,
physical health can be influenced by factors such as inadequate healthcare infrastructure, limited availability of
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
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nutritious food, exposure to environmental hazards, and higher rates of chronic diseases. Poor physical health
can contribute to a range of adverse outcomes, including reduced productivity, increased vulnerability to
illnesses, and diminished quality of life. Physical health challenges among tribal women can be influenced by a
range of factors, including socioeconomic conditions, cultural practices, and limited access to healthcare,
environmental disparities, maternal and reproductive health, nutritional deficiencies, substance abuse,
environmental health hazards and infectious diseases. These challenges may vary across different tribal
communities and geographical locations.
Mental Health: Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects
how individuals think, feel, and act, and it influences their ability to cope with stress, relate to others, and make
decisions. Among tribal women, mental health can be impacted by factors like social isolation, discrimination,
intergenerational trauma, and lack of culturally appropriate mental healthcare services, substance addiction and
cultural barriers. Untreated mental health issues can lead to a decline in overall well-being, impaired
functioning, and increased vulnerability to other health problems.
Resilience: Resilience refers to an individual's ability to adapt, cope, and bounce back from adversity. Tribal
women often demonstrate remarkable resilience in the face of significant adversities, drawing strength from
their cultural heritage, community ties, and traditional healing practices. The key aspects of resilience among
tribal women are Cultural strengths, Interconnectedness and social support, Spiritual and holistic perspectives,
Traditional knowledge and wisdom, Adaptive skills and coping strategies, Cultural preservation and
empowerment, Community resilience and advocacy.
Psychological Well-being: Well-being encompasses the overall quality of life and satisfaction experienced by
individuals. It is influenced by physical health, mental health, social connections, and a sense of purpose or
fulfillment. For tribal women, achieving well-being requires addressing the complex interplay between
physical health, mental health, and resilience. By promoting equitable access to healthcare, culturally sensitive
mental health services, social support networks, and opportunities for personal and community growth, tribal
women can experience enhanced well-being and lead more fulfilling lives.Efforts to enhance the well-being of
tribal women should involve collaboration between tribal communities, governments, non-governmental
organizations, and other stakeholders. Recognizing their unique strengths, respecting their cultural diversity,
addressing systemic challenges, and promoting inclusive policies and programs contribute to improving the
overall well-being of tribal women
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Gupte, S et al (2023) investigated the factors determining anemia among tribal women in India found the
difference in the prevalence of anemia among tribes and their non-tribal. Further they suggested the
determinants of tribal anemia range from socio-economic variables to dietary variables as well as autonomy
variables. Factors such as wealth index, rural/urban residence, and education do have a negative association
with anemia, i.e. if these factors increase anemia level decreases.
Devarapalli, S et al (2020) studied mental health of ST population in India and collated data to inform future
research. They found Thirty-two relevant studies were found and included in the review. Studies were
categorized into the following three thematic areas: alcohol and substance use disorders, common mental
disorders and sociocultural aspects, and access to mental health-care services. Sociocultural factors play a
major role in understanding and determining mental disorders.
Negi, D et al (2019) examined the tribal health and well-being of their community. They suggested that there
should be a comprehensive and national level health policy to mitigate the problems of health among the tribal
population. It is need of the hour to have a comprehensive national policy on tribal health to address the issues
related to health and its correlates in the country
Chandel, S. et al (2017) conducted a cross sectional study for finding the association between body physique
and physical fitness among tribal community of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, India on 200 individuals, both male
and female in the age group of 18-40 years. The males are mesomorph ectomorph (1.6 - 4.0 - 3.5), whereas,
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN APPLIED SCIENCE (IJRIAS)
ISSN No. 2454-6194 | DOI: 10.51584/IJRIAS |Volume X Issue IX September 2025
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females are central (2.8 – 3.6 – 3.5). The physical fitness level of the studied population is excellent. With an
increase in physical fitness among Warli males and females, there is an increase in mesomorphy component of
somatotype, while the inverse is true for endomorph and ectomorphy components.
Santhosam, M. et al. (2013) conducted the study on the Health status of Elderly Irular Tribal Women in three
villages of Kancheepuram District total of 30 elderly tribal were interviewed using a pre-tested Interview
schedule. Around 66% of the women belonged to the age group of 60-69 years old. A majority of them had
health problems such as hypertension followed by arthritis, diabetes, constipation etc. The results of the study
showed that there is a need for geriatric clinics that can take care of their physical and psychological needs. It
further stressed accessibility of health services as a main reason for the elderly not availing the health care
services.
Patel et al., 2018; Singh & Kumar (2020) highlighted in their study that the cultural and social contexts
play a key role in influencing health-related behaviours, coping mechanisms, and psychological adaptation.
Rao & Reddy (2017) in their study they suggested that Women from tribal communities often face numerous
challenges, including limited access to healthcare services, adherence to traditional belief systems, and socio-
economic hardships, all of which may have implications for both their physical and mental health
Objective
1) To identify the physical health issues (gynecological, anemia, menstrual, iron and nutritional deficiencies,
infectious diseases and substance abuse) among tribal women.
2) To examine the mental health challenges (anxiety, depression and stress) among tribal women.
3) To examine the relationship between the physical health issues and mental health challenges (anxiety,
depression and stress) among tribal women.
4) To explore the relationship between the physical health issues and level of resilience among tribal women.
5) To investigate the relationship between the physical health issues and psychological well-being among tribal
women.
Hypotheses
H1: There would be high level of physical health issues such as gynecological, anemia, menstrual, iron and
nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases among tribal women.
H2: There would be high level of anxiety, depression and stress as mental health challenges among tribal
women.
H3: Physical health issues and mental health challenges (level of anxiety, depression and stress) would be
positively correlated among tribal women.
H4: Physical health issues and resilience would be negatively correlated among tribal women.
H5: Physical health and well-being would be negatively correlated among tribal women.
Variables
Research Variables
ï‚· Physical Health Issues (gynecological, anemia, menstrual, iron and nutritional deficiencies and
infectious diseases)
ï‚· Mental Health Challenges (Anxiety, Stress and Depression)
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ï‚· Level of Resilience
ï‚· Psychological Well-being
ï‚· Tribal women
Controlled Variables
ï‚· Age: 25 to 40 years.
 Region: Various tribal areas of Nashik District – Hursul, Surgana, Peth and Ghoti (State - Maharashtra)
ï‚· Tribal women from diverse denotified tribes belongs to SC, ST, NT categories such as koli, ramoshi,
banjara, adhivasi, Bhila etc.,
ï‚· Tribal women suffering from gynecological, anemia, menstrual, iron and nutritional deficiencies and
infectious diseases from last 1 yr.
Inclusion Criteria:
ï‚· Tribal women suffering from gynecological, anemia, menstrual, iron and nutritional deficiencies and
infectious diseases from last 1 yr.
ï‚· Married Tribal women
Sample:
A purposive sampling method was used to select a representative sample of 60 tribal women various tribal
areas of Nashik District – Hursul, Surgana, Peth and Ghoti (State - Maharashtra). The total sample of 60 tribal
women from age group 25 to 40 years.
Design:
The present study based on mixed study method (qualitative and quantitative). The study used correlational
design
Data Collection:
A mixed-methods approach was applied for data collection. Quantitative data collected through standardized
measures to examine mental health challenges, resilience, and well-being. Qualitative data gathered through
in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to explore the participants' lived experiences.
Tools:
1. Interview and Personal Data Sheet
Qualitative information was collected with the help of Interview and Group Discussions with the tribal women
on their physical and mental conditions. Physical health related information were collected from Medical
health practitioner of Primary Health care centre located in tribal areas. Researchers also used personal data
sheet for collecting information of tribal women regarding their personal, family, economical and physical
health.
2. Anxiety, Depression, and Stress Scale (ADSS) by Pallavi Bhatnagar, Megha Singh, Manoj Panday,
Sandhya, and Amitabh:
This scale is suitable for examine three mental health dimensions namely anxiety, depression, and stress. It
consists of 48 items with two response options — "Yes" and "No". The score ranges for the subscales are 0 to
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19 for anxiety, 0 to 15 for depression, and 0 to 14 for stress. Higher scores on each subscale indicate greater
levels of anxiety, depression, and stress.
Reliability and Validity: Internal consistency as measured by cronbach alpha and spearman brown formula is
0.81 and 0.89 and validity was found satisfactory.
3. Resilience Scale (RS) by Dr. Vijaya Lakshmi & Dr. Shruti Narain (2017)
This scale includes 30 statements with five alternatives strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly
disagree. This scale has four dimensions such as perseverance, composure, self-reliance, and faith. For this
scale scores are ranges from 84 to 122. High score indicates high level of resilience and low scores indicates
low level of resilience.
Reliability and Validity: The test re-test reliability was found 0.87 and the split-half reliability was found 0.84
and concurrent validity was found 0.86.
4. Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) by Dr. Devendra Singh Sisodia and Pooja Choudhary
This scale is suitable for measuring psychological well-being of a person in any age group of 16-60 yrs. The
inventory has 50 items and requires 15-20 minutes to complete it. The response is given on 5 point scale. It is a
type of Likert scale. This Inventory measures the five areas of psychological well-being namely Satisfaction,
Efficiency, Sociability, Mental Health and Interpersonal Relations. The assignable scores in this inventory
range from 50 to 250 which high score showing high psychological well-being and low score showing low
psychological well-being.
Reliability and Validity:
The test-retest reliability of the scale is .87 and the consistency value for the scale is 0.90. The external criteria
and validity coefficient is 0.97.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
To analyze the data Pearson product moment correlation r was computed to check the relationship. The
obtained data is systematically presented in the following tables.
Table 1: Shows the percentage of physical health issues among tribal women
Physical Health Issues
Total Women (N)
No. of Women (n)
Percentage
Mean
Gynecological Issues
60
09
15
0.967
Anemia
14
23.34
Menstrual Issues
13
21.67
Iron and Nutritional Deficiencies
10
16.67
Infectious Diseases
14
23.34
The results show that a significant proportion of tribal women face physical health problems such as anemia
(23.34%), infectious diseases (23.34%), and menstrual issues (21.67%). Gynecological problems and
nutritional deficiencies were also reported. The mean value (0.967) indicates that almost every woman
reported at least one type of health issue. This supports Hypothesis 1 (H1), which predicted a high level of
physical health challenges among tribal women.
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Table 2: Shows the Mean and SD of mental health challenges- level of anxiety, depression and stress among
tribal women
N
Mean
SD
60
14.6
2.45
10.46
2.28
10.08
1.83
The results indicate that anxiety (M = 14.6, SD = 2.45), depression (M = 10.46, SD = 2.28), and stress (M =
10.08, SD = 1.83) are present at notable levels among tribal women. This suggests that mental health problems
are widespread, supporting Hypothesis 2 (H2) that tribal women experience a high level of anxiety,
depression, and stress.
H3: Physical health issues and mental health challenges (level of anxiety, depression and stress) would
be positively correlated among tribal women.
Table 3: Shows the Relationship between Physical health issues and mental health challenges (level of anxiety,
depression and stress)
Variable
N
Mean
r- value
Physical Health Issues
60
0.967
0.133
Anxiety
14.6
Physical Health Issues
60
0.967
0.268
Depression
10.46
Physical Health Issues
60
0.967
-0.118
Stress
10.08
The correlation between physical health issues and anxiety (r = 0.133) and depression (r = 0.268) is positive,
though weak. This means that women with more health issues tend to experience slightly higher levels of
anxiety and depression. The correlation with stress (r = –0.118) is negative but weak, suggesting that physical
health problems do not necessarily increase stress. These findings partly support Hypothesis 3 (H3), as health
issues are linked to anxiety and depression but not clearly to stress.
Table 4: Shows the Relationship between Physical Health and Level Resilience among Tribal Women
Variable
N
Mean
r-value
Physical Health
60
20
-0.175
Level of Resilience
100.35
The correlation between physical health issues and resilience (r = –0.175) is negative. This shows that women
who face more health problems tend to have lower resilience. The result supports Hypothesis 4 (H4), which
assumed that physical health issues reduce resilience levels.
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H5: Physical health and well-being would be negatively correlated among tribal women.
Table 5: Shows the Relationship between Physical Health Issues and Psychological well-being among Tribal
Women
Variable
N
Mean
r-value
Physical Health Issues
60
0.967
-0.236
Psychological Well-being
98.38
The correlation between physical health and well-being (r = –0.236) is also negative. This means that poor
physical health is linked to lower well-being among tribal women. The result supports Hypothesis 5 (H5), as
expected.
Overall, the findings show that tribal women suffer from multiple physical health issues, especially anemia and
infections, which directly affect their mental health, resilience, and well-being. The weak to moderate
correlations suggest that poor health adds to emotional difficulties like anxiety and depression, while also
reducing the ability to cope (resilience) and lowering overall life satisfaction (well-being).
These results match earlier studies highlighting that health problems, when combined with social and
economic hardships, negatively influence the psychological adjustment of tribal populations.
CONCLUSIONS
In the present research following are the conclusions:
1. There is a high level of physical health issues such as gynecological problems, anemia, menstrual
difficulties, iron and nutritional deficiencies, and infectious diseases among tribal women.
2. There is a high level of anxiety, depression, and low level of stress as mental health challenges among
tribal women.
3. There is a positive correlation between physical health issues and mental health challenges (anxiety,
depression, and stress) among tribal women.
4. There is a negative correlation between physical health issues and the level of resilience among tribal
women.
5. There is a negative correlation between physical health issues and psychological well-being among
tribal women.
Implications:
The findings of the present study on Physical Health Issues, Mental Health Challenges, Resilience, and
Psychological Well-being among Tribal Women will be helpful to various government and non-government
agencies, community heal workers, policymakers, and tribal communities. Understanding the difficulties and
problems faced by tribal women can help to develop various effective intervention modules to improve
physical and psychological health of tribal women.
The findings will be helpful for:
ï‚· The findings can guide government and non-government agencies in designing health policies
specifically addressing physical health issues such as gynecological problems, anemia, and nutritional
deficiencies among tribal women.
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ï‚· Training community health workers in psychological first aid and basic counseling may help in early
detection and intervention.
ï‚· Awareness campaigns regarding hygiene, nutrition, preventive care, and emotional well-being can
empower tribal women to take proactive steps toward better health.
ï‚· Promoting psycho-education will also reduce stigma related to mental health issues in tribal
communities.
ï‚· Culturally sensitive workshops or community support groups can be initiated to foster resilience.
ï‚· The findings contribute to the body of research on tribal health and psychology, providing a base for
future comparative studies with non-tribal populations.
ï‚· The results may inspire NGOs and community leaders to advocate for better health infrastructure and
gender-sensitive programs in tribal regions.
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