Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It can influence how we think, feel, and behave. Good mental health doesn’t just mean the absence of mental health problems. It means being mentally or emotionally healthy.
Mental Health Problems are challenging and they affect almost everyone. Everyone experiences them at some point. A person’s mental health can change from time to time, depending on various factors. Some people recover from their mental health problems with self-help and support while others require professional help.
https://youtu.be/oxx564hMBUI – What is Mental Health?
What is Mental Illness?
Mental Illness or Mental Disorder refers to a diagnosed condition (e.g., Depression, ADHD, Anxiety, etc.) that may require medical treatment.
Many people with mental illnesses don’t like to talk about it. It is a medical condition and can take many forms. Some are mild while others are so severe that a person may need medical care in a hospital.
https://youtu.be/-squqwaTuxo – Mental Illness Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
The battle with mental illness has become more widespread in recent years. Much of this is due to the increased number of people suffering from a mental illness and the lack of programs available to provide treatment.
A report by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that 7.5 percent of the Indian population suffers from some form of mental illness. India is accounted for nearly 15% of the global mental and neurological disorder burden. ( Read More: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/mental-health-in-india-7-5-of-country-affected-less-than-4000-experts-available/articleshow/71500130.cms?from=mdr )
Women’s Mental Health
The battle against women’s mental health is one of the most challenging issues faced by the healthcare industry. The social stigma around mental health is possibly the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Women are more susceptible to many mental health conditions than men. One in five women have a common mental health illness such as depression and anxiety.
https://youtu.be/i4Q_bL-63oc – Mental Health & Women | Shania Clark | TEDxYellowknifeWomen
According to a study published by the American Psychological Association, women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, while men tend toward substance abuse or antisocial disorders. The research also found that women with anxiety disorders are more likely to suppress emotions, which typically results in loneliness and depression. ( Read more: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/08/mental-illness )
Even when men and women share the same mental health diagnosis, the symptoms, and the following treatment, can be different.
Why the Gender Differences?
Gender is an important determining factor of mental health and mental illness. Research has shown major differences between genders when it comes to the development of common mental health disorders and some disorders are more prevalent in women.
Biological influences:
Female hormonal fluctuations play a role in mood and depression. The hormone estrogen can have a positive effect on the brain. On the less positive side, Women’s serotonin levels are lower than men’s because they absorb the chemical faster, which may account for the higher rates of depression. A woman’s genetic makeup also plays a role in the development of neurological disorders. Biological differences may play a role in the rise of certain mental health problems.
Socio-cultural influences:
Despite developments in gender equality, women still face challenges when it comes to socio-economic factors, which can lead to depression and other disorders. Women are still the primary caregivers for children, which contributes to stress.
Depression, anxiety, sexual violence, and substance use affect women to a greater extent than men. Pressure is created by their multiple gender roles, gender discrimination, which accounts for women’s poor mental health.
Girls tend to become displeased with their bodies at puberty and that is linked to depression. Girls are sexually abused more often than boys. One in five women will experience rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.
( Read More: https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/gender-and-women-s-mental-health )
Behavioural Influences:
There is thinking that women are more apt to report mental health disturbances than men and that doctors are more likely to diagnose a woman with depression and to treat the condition with mood-altering drugs. Women are more prone to report mental health concerns to a general practitioner. However, women are sometimes scared to report physical abuse.
While discrepancies between men and women weren’t always clearly made in mental health research, in recent years government has stimulated agencies such as the National Institutes of Health to do mental health research specific to women.
Conclusion
As more research is done and there is a greater understanding of women’s mental health issues and experts are hopeful that treatments will bring better results and more positive outcomes for women with mental health conditions.
