Women and Mental Health
One of the greatest challenges facing the health care industry is the fight against mental illness. To begin with, serious conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and anxiety are often difficult to diagnose. But perhaps the most daunting obstacle to treatment of mental health disorders is the societal stigma attached to the diseases. The reluctance of patients to seek treatment for mental health disorders disproportionately affects women, in large part because women are more susceptible than men to many common mental health conditions.
In 2017, 46.6 million adults in the U.S. were treated for a mental illness, representing nearly 20% of the adult population, yet the percentage of women being treated for mental illness was almost 50% higher than the percentage of men (22.3% vs. 15.1%, according to the National Institute of Mental Health).
A study conducted by the U.S. Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch found that women service members were diagnosed with anxiety at a rate that was 1.4 times that of their male counterparts, and women in the survey were 1.9 times more likely than men to be diagnosed with depression. (Psychological Health Center of Excellence)
While all segments of the world’s population are impacted by mental illness, health professionals are discovering that treating women requires a different approach than is used to treat men with the same illnesses. For example, while the incidence of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is the same for men and women, the symptoms women experience often differ from those present in men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
In addition to feeling too ashamed to seek help for a mental disorder, many women simply aren’t aware that their symptoms constitute an illness that can be treated. A big step toward improving the diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions in women rests in education: providing information about the prevalence of mental illness, the negative effects it has on women and their families, and the many resources available to help them receive the treatment they need to return to health.
The information presented in this guide is intended as a starting point for health care professionals as well as for women and their families as they seek resources that can set them on the path to wellness.
For the next several weeks I discuss in depth about women and mental health. Stay turn for next week’s blog.