The Causes Behind The Psychological Issues That Working Muslim Women Encounter: A Case Study Of The Sammanthurai Region

Authors

  • Mohamed Sulthan Ismiya Begum South Eastern University of Sri Lanka
  • Ismail Fathima Faneeka South Eastern University of Sri Lanka

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61166/feelings.v3i2.73

Keywords:

Cultural Pressures, Work-Family Conflict, Psychological Problems, Sammanthurai, Muslim Women.

Abstract

This research paper seeks to explore the mental health issues faced by Muslim women on employment and the causal factors of such issues. Particularly, the study was carried out by taking into account the numerous psychological issues of the working Muslim women in the Sammanthurai area belonging to their family, social and professional setup. According to the existing body of literature, we have determined that religious discrimination, restrictions of the dress code, conflicts between work and family, and cultural pressures are some of the key factors that influence the mental stress and psychological well-being of women.In this research, a qualitative research method was used with a phenomenological research design in order to focus on the lived experiences. The participants were 25 working Muslim women in the region of Sammanthurai that has been selected in the purposive sampling technique. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect primary data and secondary data were collected in the past researches, books and journals on the same topic. A manual coding process was used to analyze the data collected by using the thematic analysis. The proper ethical procedures and standards were adhered to to maintain reliability and validity of the research results.The results of the research suggest that the mental issues experienced by the working women who are Muslims do not have the same cause. Rather, they are products of a complex interrelationship of factors, such as work-related, family, socio-cultural and personal factors and educational/career-related problems, religious identity-related pressures, as well as safety issues. This underlines the importance of the socio-cultural context of Sammanthurai region in influencing the psychological status of women. In the end this study highlights that psychological issues among working Muslim women is a complex phenomenon that is formed as a result of several overlapping variables.

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Published

2026-08-25

How to Cite

Mohamed Sulthan Ismiya Begum, & Ismail Fathima Faneeka. (2026). The Causes Behind The Psychological Issues That Working Muslim Women Encounter: A Case Study Of The Sammanthurai Region. Feelings: Journal of Counseling and Psychology , 3(2), 119–137. https://doi.org/10.61166/feelings.v3i2.73

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