Well-being and Mental Health Among MSM in India: The Fact and Challenges

Abstract

The present research has endeavoured to study the well-being and prevalence of depression and anxiety among the urban Indian MSM (men who have sex with men). It has also tried to understand whether any regional variances exist across the different identity categories of MSM. The study was conducted in the urban setting of two states of India, that is, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. The participants ( N = 700) of this research were the five different categories of MSM identified by the Kothis/ Kothmas, a subcultural local identity of Indian MSM. The participants were contacted by using the snowball technique. The present study has adopted mixed method. Ethnography was used to understand the identity issues and problems of MSM as well for providing narratives in support of their anxiety and depression, while quantitative method helped to evaluate the data regarding well-being, depression and anxiety. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis. The qualitative part, data have been analysed by interpretative method. The result of one-way ANOVA confirms the statistically significant differences among different MSM categories in case of well-being, anxiety and depression. The cultural politics of sexual identity ( Kothi/ Kothma) that excludes the urban Indian MSM themselves cannot avoid the stress generated from their respective sexual practices and life events leading to increased anxiety and depression and a decline well-being. This study intends to create the attention of health planners, policy makers and activists for the welfare and health uplift of MSM in India.