Analysing The Impact Of Psychological, Social, And Economic Influences On Depression And Quality Of Life In Mannan Tribal Women In Idukki:Strategies For Enhancing Quality Of Life

Abstract

The Mannan community, classified as a scheduled tribe (ST) in Kerala, India, resides in the Idukki District and is recognized as Adivasi. The Mannan people are traditional forest-dwellers, sustaining their livelihood through the collection and utilization of resources from the dense forest, complemented by shifting agriculture practices.  Luiz suggests that the term "Mannan" is a distorted amalgamation of "Mannu" (earth) and "Manushyan" (man), signifying their identity as sons of the soil. Several informants conveyed to the researcher that "Mannan" implies king, originating from the Tamil term "Mannavan," which translates to 'king.' The Mannans live in hamlets known as Kudi in Malayalam. Each hamlet consists of 30 to 120 households.  Believed to be descendants of a Pandian King, their primary language is Tamil.In the Mannan tribe, women are entrusted with diverse duties encompassing household management, childcare, and agricultural work. Notably, environmental care stands out as a pivotal responsibility held by women in the Mannan community. These women grapple with a multitude of challenges, often exhibiting introverted tendencies and coping with considerable adversity within their community. Consequently, they experience depression and a diminished quality of life, leading to their withdrawal from mainstream society. Women undergoing distress and depression commonly demonstrate diminished performance in their daily life such as affective expression, family roles, and problem-solving abilities. Mannan women are recognized for their frequent tobacco consumption, often engaging in chain smoking and extensively utilizing tobacco due to loneliness, family pressure, peer pressure, poverty which also leads to depression.This study aims to analyse the impact of psychological influences, social influences and economic influences which leads the women of the Mannan tribe to depression and how they affect the well-being of Mannan tribal women. Ultimate goal of this study is to propose practical strategies and actionable insights that can contribute to their overall improvement of their quality of life.