The Needs of Women Users of Mental Health Services and their Families

Abstract

Aim

Understand the needs of women users of mental health services and their families and discuss consequences.

Method

Non-systematic review of concepts and data regarding the needs of women users of mental health services and their families.

Results

nequity and inefficiency of mental health resources affect men and women all around the globe. Some important mental health needs as well as barriers to care are gender-specific. Women have specific needs in specific phases of life, e.g. the perinatal period, as well as specific risk factors, e.g. interpersonal violence and sexual abuse. Developments of women only services as well as the implementation of gender-specific approaches in routine care are underway and need to be evaluated, amended and expanded. Training as well as research requirements are numerous and urgent. Family carers are an essential mental health resource. A majority is female with significant unmet needs. Family advocacy in mental health is prominently supported by female activists as is the psychiatric user movement. Because of the cumulation and the interaction of gender-based and other forms of discrimination, legislations such as those following the UN-Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities include specific provisions for women and girls with psychosocial disabilities.

Conclusions

Mental health stigma and discrimination interact with gender inequality and the discrimination of women and girls to their mental health detriment. Clinical and scientific responsibilities in mental health essentially include gender-specific attention to the needs of women and girls and their families.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.