Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Bangladesh faces a high burden of mental health disorders, yet gender-based disparities in prevalence and access to care remain critically understudied. This narrative review aims to identify important gaps in the existing literature by focusing on common mental disorders and specifically on gender-based inequities in accessing mental healthcare services in Bangladesh. METHODS: To address the objectives, a narrative review was conducted using both research and grey literature articles, following PRISMA guidelines in database searches. RESULTS: Results depict that in Bangladesh, gender-based mental health inequity is pervasive, and women may be more susceptible to common mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, which have been largely overlooked in previous studies. However, women are less likely to access mental health care than men. CONCLUSION: Addressing these disparities requires targeted policies. We recommend expanding the female mental health workforce, integrating mental health into primary care with outreach to women, and launching anti-stigma campaigns (including digital and media-based interventions) to normalize help-seeking. These gender-sensitive strategies, alongside broader system strengthening efforts, can improve access for women and, by extension, benefit the overall population's mental health.