In India, there is limited research on the nature of familial relationships and domestic violence that women living with serious mental illness (SMI) experience. Using the self-in-relation theory and through 34 in-depth interviews, I explored narratives related to family, marriage, and violence in familial relationships among women living with SMI at a psychiatric institution in an urban city in India. These narratives are critical because they highlight how the presence of mental illness exacerbates the violence women experience. Informed by participants’ narratives, I offer specific recommendations on creating gender-sensitive mental health care that is mindful of women’s social realities.

在印度，对患有严重精神疾病 (SMI) 的女性所经历的家庭关系和家庭暴力性质的研究有限。使用自我关系理论并通过 34 次深入访谈，我在印度某城市的精神病院中探索了与 SMI 一起生活的女性中与家庭、婚姻和家庭关系中的暴力有关的叙述。这些叙述至关重要，因为它们强调了精神疾病的存在如何加剧了女性遭受的暴力。根据参与者的叙述，我就创建关注女性社会现实的性别敏感心理保健提出具体建议。