SWPER-Measured women’s empowerment and mental health in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study from 2022 demographic and health survey

Women's empowerment affects mental health in opposite ways: rejecting violence and gaining social independence lowers anxiety and depression, but more decision-making power can increase anxiety. Age, employment status, poverty, internet use, religion, region, and number of children also influence women's mental health. Effective policies must pair gender-norm changes and economic opportunities with easily accessible, stigma-free mental health support so that empowerment consistently benefits Bangladeshi women's well-being.