Impact of perceived familial gender discrimination and entrapment on the mental health of female emerging adults

This study investigates the impact of perceived familial gender discrimination (PFGD) and entrapment on the mental health of emerging female adults in India. The sample comprised 568 unmarried and unemployed female college students aged 18 years and above belonging to the upper- and lower-middle class socioeconomic status, selected using purposive sampling. The research utilized the Kuppuswamy Socioeconomic Status Scale, Gender Discrimination by Parents' Behaviours subscale, and Entrapment Short Form Scale to measure the variables. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between PFGD and entrapment (r = 0.653, p < 0.01), suggesting that higher levels of perceived discrimination are associated with increased feelings of entrapment. The regression analysis revealed that PFGD significantly predicts entrapment , accounting for 42.6% of the variance (F (1418) = 419.855, p < 0.05). This finding highlights the profound impact of familial gender discrimination on the psychological well-being of young women, leading to a heightened sense of entrapment. The study underscores the importance of addressing gender discrimination within families to improve the mental health outcomes of emerging female adults. Future research should explore the intersectionality of gender discrimination with other forms of discrimination and examine its long-term effects on mental health across diverse demographic groups. Implications related to the roles of community, media and educational institutions, as well as the judiciary system and mental health professionals have also been discussed, highlighting the adverse consequences of gender discrimination in domestic settings on a young female's mental health.