The Progress Paradox: Exploring the nexus between development, social inequalities, and mental distress in northern Pakistan

Current research on mental distress and suicides/attempted suicides amongst women in northern Pakistan attribute these health crises to factors pertaining to individuals and families. This framing places responsibility of mental health on individuals and detracts from the structural factors that play a role in delivering health and gender (in)justice in the region. Critical perspectives in global mental health, international development, and gender studies argue for an analysis that take into account structural determinants of mental health. Drawing on these perspectives, I will examine how the mental health crisis in northern Pakistan has been shaped by structural inequalities across class and gender, as well as international development interventions in the region. I will rely on in-depth interviews, participant observation, and archival research to collect data in Gilgit Baltistan. I aim for the findings of this research to be useful as evidence for informed mental health interventions and policies in the region.