Mental health of handloom weavers in Bangladesh: A call for culturally adapted interventions.

Bangladesh's handloom weaving industry, a vital cultural and economic asset, employs approximately one million rural workers and generates over 10 billion Bangladeshi taka (~82 million USD) annually. Despite its importance, the mental health of handloom weavers, locally known as Tatis, remains largely unexamined. This perspective article, based on a narrative review of existing literature synthesizing peer-reviewed studies, reports and policy documents on mental health in informal sectors, explores the mental health challenges faced by these workers. Using a syndemics framework, it draws on data on garment workers and the broader informal sector, which indicates heightened risks of stress, anxiety and depression resulting from long working hours, low wages and competition from mechanized looms. These risks are compounded by systemic barriers, including Bangladesh's allocation of only 0.44% of its health budget to mental health (2021), a severe shortage of professionals (0.16 psychiatrists per 100,000 people and 0.34 psychologist per 100,000 people) and pervasive cultural stigma. Additionally, musculoskeletal pain, which affects 82.4% of weavers, places a particularly heavy burden on women, who constitute half of the workforce, further exacerbating mental health vulnerabilities through syndemic interactions with poverty and gender inequities. To address this neglected crisis, the article proposes a novel intervention framework aligned with the Double Diamond design model. The framework integrates community-based mental health hubs, peer-led support networks and digital platforms tailored to Bangladesh's collectivist culture. It calls for increased funding, workplace reforms, stigma reduction campaigns and targeted research, highlighting the dual benefit of improving weavers' well-being and sustaining the long-term future of the industry.