Table 1 Thematic distribution of the findings

1. Mental health symptoms

1.1. Common mental health conditions

911 (90.56)

1.2. Severe mental illnesses (SMI)

95 (9.44)

2. Reasons for seeking mental health care by the women

2.1. Different issues related to marital relationship

396 (48.41)

2.2. Different kinds of abuses

422 (51.59)

3. Mental healthcare -seeking behavior

3.1. Past history of having mental distress and not seeking care

552 (82.76)

3.2. Visiting mental health professionals

115 (17.24)

4. Barriers for seeking mental healthcare

4.1. Low mental health literacy (MHL)

426 (77.17)

4.2. Stigma related to seeking mental healthcare

120 (21.74)

4.3. Lack of availability of mental healthcare services

6 (1.09)