The Effect of Igbo Traditional Culture on the Mental Health of Igbo Women
Conference: The 23rd Annual International Conference of the Igbo Studies Association (ISA) (2026)
Presenter(s): Obiora Dominica Nkemdirim
Tags: Conference 2026
Abstract
Igbo traditional culture plays a significant role in shaping the social identities, roles, and lived experiences of Igbo women, with important implications for their mental health and psychological well-being. This study examines the effects of Igbo cultural norms, values, and practices on the mental health of Igbo women, highlighting both their protective and constraining dimensions. Drawing on indigenous concepts of womanhood, marriage, motherhood, kinship, and communal responsibility, the article explores how cultural expectations surrounding obedience, fertility, marital stability, and social respectability influence women’s emotional health. While traditional support systems such as extended family networks, communal solidarity, and spiritual frameworks often provide resilience, meaning, and coping mechanisms, certain practices—including gendered power relations, silence around emotional distress, stigma associated with mental illness, and pressure to conform to idealized roles—can exacerbate stress, anxiety, depression, and psychological vulnerability. Using an interdisciplinary approach informed by anthropology, gender studies, and mental health discourse, the study argues that Igbo culture is neither inherently oppressive nor entirely protective but operates as a complex social system with varying impacts on women’s mental well-being. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for culturally sensitive mental health interventions that recognize indigenous values while addressing harmful practices, thereby promoting holistic and contextually grounded mental health support for Igbo women in contemporary Nigeria.
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