NIGHTINGALE INSTITUTE OF NURSING,

NOIDA

PEER PRESENTATION
ON

WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH

(SUBJECT: MENTAL HEALTH NURSING)

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY

Ms. GLORY TRIPATHY Ms. DHAIRYA ARORA

LECTURER M.Sc. (N) 1st YEAR

NIN,NOIDA NIN,NOIDA
 WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH
INTRODUCTION
Women's health refers to the health of women, which differs from that of men in
many unique ways. Women's health is an example of population health, where health is
defined by the World Health Organization as "a state of complete physical, mental and social
well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated as simply
women's reproductive health, many groups argue for a broader definition pertaining to the
overall health of women, better expressed as "The health of women".
Women and men are different not only in their obvious physical attributes, but also in
their psychological makeup. There are actual differences in the way women's and men's
brains are structured and “wired” and in the way they process information and react to events
and stimuli. Women and men differ in the way they communicate, deal in relationships,
express their feelings, and react to stress.
Mental Health And Mental Disorder
Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-
being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive
psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and
procure a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. On
the other hand, a mental disorder or mental illness is an involuntary psychological or
behavioural pattern that occurs in an individual and is thought to cause distress or disability
that is not expected as part of normal development or culture.
Mental disorders can affect women and men differently. Some disorders are more
common in women such as depression and anxiety. There are also certain types of depression
that are unique to women. Some women may experience symptoms of mental disorders at
times of hormone change, such as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and
per menopause-related depression. When it comes to other mental disorders such
as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, research has not found differences in rates that men
and women experiences these illnesses. 
Sex Differences In Prevalence, Onset And Course Of Disorders
Lifetime prevalence rates for any kind of psychiatric disorder were high, but similar
for men (48.7%) and women (47.3%)
 In childhood:, Most studies report a higher prevalence of conduct disorders, for example
with aggressive and antisocial behaviours, among boys than in girls.
 During adolescence:
• Girls have a much higher prevalence of depression and eating disorders, and engage more in
suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than boys.
• Boys experience more problems with anger, engage in high-risk behaviours and commit
suicide more frequently than girls.
• In general, adolescent girls are more prone to symptoms that are directed inwardly, while
adolescent boys are more prone to act out.
 In adulthood:
• The prevalence of depression and anxiety is much higher in women, while;
• Substance use disorders and antisocial behaviours are higher in men.
• In the case of severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar depression, there
are no consistent sex differences in prevalence, but men typically have an earlier onset of
schizophrenia, while women are more likely to exhibit serious forms of bipolar depression.
 In older age groups: Although the incidence rates for Alzheimer’s disease is reported to
be the same for women and men, women’s longer life expectancy means that there are
more women than men living with the condition.
UNDERLYING FACTORS :
 Interaction between biological and social vulnerability:
• Genetic and biological factors
• Hormonal changes
• Antenatal and postnatal depression
• Psychological distress associated with reproductive health condition (infertility,
histerectomy…)
 Gender Roles:
• Lower self steem
• Anxiety over their body image
• Lack of autonomy and control over one’s life
• Low income women and incontrolled LE
 Gender based violence:
• Depression, anxiety and stress-related syndromes, dependence on psychotropic medications
and substance use and suicide are mental health problems associated with violence in
women’s lives.
• A highly significant relationship between lifetime experience of physical violence by an
intimate partner and suicide ideation
• A strong association between being sexually abused in childhood and the presence of
multiple mental health problems later in life.

WOMAN - A LIFE CYCLE OF VULNERABILITIES

Wrath of dowry practices, a firm patriarchal family system with the woman having
little say, lesser opportunities for education, and employment add to the plight of women.
Women’s mental health tends to suffer as they are faced with stressors and are ill-equipped to
cope with the same.
When a woman becomes mentally ill, services are sought infrequently and late.
Rather she is blamed for the illness. The mentally ill woman may be socially ostracized and
abandoned by her husband and her own family. Hence, being a “woman” and being
“mentally ill” is a dual curse. Even though some authors feel that marriage protects against
psychological breakdown, it is not always true. Several studies show that there is greater
distress in married women as compared to married men. The birth of a child, abortion or
miscarriage, economic stresses, and major career changes are some of the stressful events in
married life; many of these are gender specific

MENTAL DISORDERS IN WOMEN:

There are certain types of disorders that are unique to women. For example, some
women may experience symptoms of mental disorders at times of hormone change, such
as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopause-related
depression. When it comes to other mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar
disorder.
Warning Signs: Women can develop most of the same mental disorders and conditions, but
may experience different symptoms. Some symptoms include:
 Persistent sadness or feelings of hopelessness
 Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs
 Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
 Appetite and/or weight changes
 Decreased energy or fatigue
 Excessive fear or worry
 Seeing or hearing things that are not there
 Extremely high and low moods
 Aches, headaches, or digestive problems without a clear cause
 Irritability
 Social withdrawal
 Suicidal thoughts
Severe Mental Illness In Women:
be more toward ill women than men and also, women
caregivers become the target of stigma
Although female gender is associated with a favourable outcome, social consequences
such as abandonment by marital families, homelessness, vulnerability to sexual abuse, and
exposure to HIV; and other infections contribute to the difficulties of rehabilitation of
women.
The prevalence rates for sexual and physical abuse of women with severe mental
illnesses are twice those observed in the general population of women. In India, the absence
of any clear policies for the welfare of severely ill women, and the social stigma further
compounds the problem. Stigma has been reported to be more toward ill women than men
and also, women caregivers become the target of stigma.

Although female gender is associated with a favorable

outcome, social consequences such as abandonment by
marital families, homelessness, vulnerability to sexual abuse,
and exposure to HIV; and other infections contribute to the
difficulties of rehabilitation of women. The prevalence rates
for sexual and physical abuse of women with severe mental
illnesses are twice those observed in the general population
of women. In India, the absence of any clear policies for the
welfare of severely ill women, and the social stigma further
be more toward ill women than men and also, women
caregivers become the target of stigm
WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH: THE FACTS (WHO REPORT,2001)
 Depressive disorders account for close to 41.9% of the disability from
neuropsychiatric disorders among women compared to 29.3% among men
 Leading mental health problems of the elderly are depression, organic brain
syndromes, and dementias.
 An estimated 80% of 50 million people affected by violent conflicts, civil wars,
disasters, and displacement are women and children
 Lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women ranges from 16% to 50%
 At least one in five women suffers rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.

MENTAL HEALTH INFLUENCES: GENDER DIFFERENCES

Biological influences. Female hormonal fluctuations are known to play a role in mood
and depression. The hormone estrogen can have positive effects on the brain,
protecting schizophrenic women from severe symptoms during certain phases of their
menstrual cycles and maintaining the structure of neurons in the brain, which protects
against some aspects of Alzheimer’s. On the less positive side, women tend to produce
less of the mood stabilizer serotonin  and synthesize it more slowly than men, which
may account for the higher rates of depression. A woman’s genetic makeup is also
believed to play a role in the development of such neurological disorders as
Alzheimer’s.
 Socio-cultural influences. Despite strides in gender equality, women still face challenges
when it comes to socio-economic power, status, position, and dependence, which can
contribute to depression and other disorders. Women are still the primary caregivers for
children, and it is estimated that they also provide 80 percent of all care giving for
chronically ill elders, which add stress to a women’s life.
Girls tend to become dissatisfied with their bodies at puberty, a reaction that is
linked to depression. Girls are also sexually abused more often than boys, and one in
five women will experience rape or attempted rape, which can lead to depression and
panic disorder.
 Behavioural influences. There is some thinking that women are more apt to report
mental health disturbances than men and that doctors are more prone to diagnose a
woman with depression and to treat the condition with mood-altering drugs. Women are
more likely to report mental health concerns to a general practitioner, while men report
tend to discuss them with a mental health specialist. However, women are sometimes
afraid to report physical violence and abuse.  

COMMON MENTAL DISORDERS (CMD)

 Depression. Women are twice as likely as men (12 percent of women compared to 6

percent of men) to get depression. Depression in women may be related to changes in
hormone levels that occur throughout a woman's life. These changes are evident during
puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as after giving birth or experiencing
a miscarriage.
In addition, the hormone fluctuations that occur with each month's menstrual cycle
probably contribute to premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, and premenstrual dysphoric
disorder, or PMDD -- a severe syndrome marked especially by depression, anxiety, and
mood swings that occurs the week before menstruation and interferes with normal
functioning of daily life.
 Anxiety and specific phobias. Although men and women are affected equally by such
mental health conditions as obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobias, women are
twice as likely as men to have panic disorder, generalized anxiety, and specific phobias.

Researchers think anxiety disorders are caused by a combination of factors, which may
include:
 Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle
 Genetics. Anxiety disorders may run in families.
 Traumatic events. Experiencing abuse, an attack, or sexual assault can lead to
serious health problems, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder,
and depression. 
Anxiety disorders are often treated with counselling, medicine, or a
combination of both. Some women also find that yoga or meditation helps with
anxiety disorders.

 Post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Women are twice as likely to develop PTSD

following a traumatic event.
The primary factor that must be present for posttraumatic stress disorder to develop is
experiencing, witnessing, or learning about one traumatic event or a series of traumatic
events. However, a bevy of additional elements can influence whether or not an individual’s
response will cause her to develop PTSD:
Genetic: Studies show that specific genotypes may increase or decrease the odds of an
individual developing PTSD based on a traumatic experience.
Environmental: Before the traumatic event occurs, environmental influences like low
educational progress, poverty, childhood adversity, family history of mental illness, and more
can increase an individual’s likelihood of developing PTSD. During and after the traumatic
event, elements including the severity of the experience, additional adverse life events,
subsequent exposure to reminders of the event, and the lack of strong social support can add
to the development of PTSD.

Risk Factors:
 Being female
 Being younger at the time of the traumatic event(s)
 Low socioeconomic status
 Being a member of a minority racial or ethnic group
 Experiencing interpersonal violence
 Insufficient social support
 Lower intelligence
 Lower education level
 Prior mental health issues
 Poor coping skills
 Suicide attempts. Men die from suicide at four times the rate that women do, but women
attempt suicide two or three times more often than men. Studies of suicide and deliberate
self-harm have revealed a universally common trend of more female attempters and more
male completers of suicide. However, in contrast to the data from many other countries,
except China, which records the highest female suicide rate, women outnumber men in
completed suicides in India, although the gap between them is narrow. found that girls
from nuclear families and women married at a very young age to be at a higher risk for
attempted suicide and self-harm. The suicide rate by age for India reveals that the suicide
rates peak for both men and women between the age 18 and 29 while in the age group
10–17, the rate for the female exceeded the male figure. A large degree of attempts is as a
response to failures in life, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and dowry-related
harassment. The precipitants for suicide, according to Indian government statistics,
among women compared to men are as follows: Dowry disputes (2.9% versus 0.2%);
love affairs (15.4% versus 10.9%); illegitimate pregnancies (10.3 versus 8.2); and
quarrels with spouse or parents-in-law (10.3% versus 8.2%).
The common causes for suicide in India are disturbed interpersonal relationships
followed by psychiatric disorders and physical illnesses.Spousal violence has been found
to be specifically associated as an independent risk factor for attempted suicide in women.
 Eating disorders. Women account for at least 85 percent of all anorexia and bulimia
cases and 65 percent of binge-eating disorder cases. Most people who develop eating
disorders an estimated 90% are females. Typically associated with adolescents and young
women, eating disorders also affect middle-aged or elderly women — although, until
fairly recently, not much was known about prevalence in this older age group.
Secrecy and shame are part of the disorder, and women may not seek help. This is
particularly true if they fear being forced to gain unwanted weight or stigmatized as an older
woman with a "teenager's disease."

Despite underdiagnosis of eating disorders in older people, clinicians at treatment

centers specializing in such issues report that they've seen an upswing in requests for help
from older women. Some of these women have struggled with disordered eating for decades,
while for others the problem is new. The limited amount of research on this topic suggests
that such anecdotal reports may reflect a trend.

MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS RELATED TO REPRODUCTIVE PHASES :

MENSTRUATION AND PREGNANCY
Mood and behavioral changes have been observed to be associated with menstrual
cycle since ancient times. The symptoms such as irritability, restlessness, anxiety, tension,
migraine, sleep disturbances, sadness, dysphoria, and the lack of concentration occur more
frequently during the premenstrual and menstrual phase. A premenstrual dysphoric disorder
consisting of extremely distressing emotional and behavioral symptoms is closely linked to
the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
Mental disturbances frequently occur during late pregnancy and in the postpartum
period. Postpartum blues is the most common and least severe postpartum illness affecting
between 50% and 80% of primi mothers, whereas postpartum depression constitutes a major
depressive episode with an onset within 6 weeks postpartum in a majority of cases. In India,
depression occurs as frequently during late pregnancy and after delivery as in developed
countries, but there are cultural differences in risk factors. The risk is highest among the most
socially and economically disadvantaged women.
The other important risk factors include gender-based factors such as the bias against
female babies; role restrictions regarding housework and infant care; and excessive unpaid
workloads; especially in multi-generational households in which a daughter-in-law has little
autonomy, and gender-based violence. Also, menopause is a time of change for women not
only in their endocrine and reproductive systems, but also their social and psychological
circumstances. It has long been known that menopause is accompanied by depression and
other mental disturbances. Reproductive health factors, particularly gynaecological
complaints such as vaginal discharge and dyspareunia are independently associated with the
risk for CMD.

SUBSTANCE USE AMONG WOMEN

Although there are variations between countries, rates of substance abuse –

particularly abuse of alcohol, tranquillizers, and analgesics – are increasing around the world.
Women are more likely to attribute their drinking to a traumatic event or a stressor and
women who abuse alcohol or drugs are more likely to have been sexually or physically
abused than other women. Significantly more major depression and anxiety disorders are
found in females with alcoholism. Thus, the profile of women with substance use problems
differs from that in male abusers. However, despite increasing rates, services to assist women
are limited.

VIOLENCE AND ABUSE AMONG WOMEN

According to an eye-opening United Nations report, around two-third of married

women in India were victims of domestic violence and one incident of violence translated
into women losing 7 working days in the country. Further more,as many as 70% of married
women between the ages of 15 and 49 years are victims of beating, rape or coerced sex. The
common forms of violence against Indian women include female feticide (selective abortion
based on the fetus gender or sex selection of child), domestic violence, dowry, death or
harassment, mental and physical torture, sexual trafficking, and public humiliation.
The reproductive roles of women, such as their expected role of bearing children, the
consequences of infertility, and the failure to produce a male child have been linked to
wife-battering and female suicide. The consequences of gender-based violence are
devastating including life-long emotional distress, mental health issues including
posttraumatic stress disorder and poor reproductive health.
Common mental health problems experienced by abused women include depression,
anxiety, posttraumatic stress, insomnia, and alcohol use disorders,as well as a range of
somatic and psychological complaints. Battered women are much more likely to require
psychiatric treatment and are much more likely to attempt suicide than nonbattered women.

HEALTH SEEKING BEHAVIOR

• Women reported higher levels of distress than did men, and were more likely to perceive
having an emotional problem than men who had a similar level of symptoms. Once men
recognised, they had a problem, they were as likely as women to use mental health services.
• Men tended to use alcohol as a remedy for relief from temporary strain caused by external
pressure, and considered the use of psychotropic drugs as indicating loss of autonomy.
• Women, on the other hand, used psychotropics to restore their capacity to carry out
emotionally taxing labour related to their caring work in the private sphere.
• Women are consistently more likely to use outpatient mental health services than are men.
Men may seek care at a later stage after the onset of symptoms, or delay until symptoms
become severe.

WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH: CARING FOR THEMSELVES

Women suffering from mental illness usually do not come forward because they get
blamed and shamed for not living up to societal expectations. As a society, the high
expectations placed on women put us under immense pressure and are detrimental to our well
being. This makes it all the more important to care for ourselves and stay healthy.
1. Self-care is a lifestyle change that will help you manage symptoms of stress, anxiety, and
depression. Aside from meeting your most basic needs, self-care can be anything and
everything. It can range from completing a few chores that have been pending, learning to
say no, taking time to do activities you enjoy, giving yourself recognition for doing your
best, permission to be you, and - above all -allowing yourself to make mistakes. It is also
extremely important to recognise that self-care is not selfish. Unless a person takes care
of their own needs, they will not have the psychological and physical energy to take care
of another.
2. Practicing gratitude is another way to improve your mental health. Gratitude is
appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to you, and represents a general state of
thankfulness and appreciation. By showing gratitude you embody a more positive
attitude, which improves your personal, professional, and social life. You can express
gratitude in two ways: internally, by acknowledging all the good in your life, or
externally, by recognising the good in the world around you.
3. Friendship has a large impact on our mental health because it makes us more resilient.
Resilience is the ability to cope with stress and adversity. Research has also shown that
friendship can have a much more significant and positive impact on life expectancy when
compared to other relationships.
 4. Spending time in nature, journalling, aromatherapy, and yoga are activities that will help
you feel relaxed. They all work in different ways. For example, journalling allows you to
reflect and process your emotions. According to psychologist Robert Emmons, it can
significantly improve your well being and life satisfaction. Aromatherapy, meanwhile,
uses specific scents to alleviate poor emotional and psychological states and help you
unwind.
5. Physical activity and exercise are great ways to improve circulation and regulate
breathing. They increases levels of oxygen, which will improve brain functioning, calm
the nervous system, cleanse the lungs, and facilitate quality sleep.

PROMOTING MENTAL HEALTH FOR:

 WORKING WOMEN
Toxic environments either at work or home, multiple deadlines, and co-workers who are
constantly complaining are sources of negativity and stress that deplete your energy. Working
women should engage in activities that are relaxing; try journalling or spending time in
nature.
 NEW MOTHERS
As a new mother they have to recognise and accept that they are still learning and be
forgiving towards yourself. While they are learning about the needs of their newborn, not to
neglect themselves. They will be better equipped to take care of their child with this.. They
should find time to rest by setting a schedule that is compatible with their child’s, they have
to ensure that they are still eating nutritious food, and getting some exercise, which is not
always easy.
 WOMEN AT HOME
It is often assumed that women at home have it easy, but that’s not true. They have a lot of
responsibility, care for everybody at home, and have to meet many expectations. It is very
easy to lose your own identity while tending to the needs of so many others, and this can be
extremely draining. It is essential that they make time to treat yourself and tend to some of
your own needs by doing something simple like establishing a night-time skin care routine,
taking a class on something they are passionate about, or de-cluttering your home. They can
also do things that you enjoy like reading or going out with friends.

As nurses, we should help women, never to feel guilty when it comes to their mental
health and self-care and motivate them by telling that they need to remember that-“You are
an individual and your needs are justified. You are only making things harder for yourself in
the long run if you constantly neglect your health and well-being. You are a valued member
of your family and society, and should treat yourself like one. Give yourself permission to
enjoy and celebrate life while striving to stay healthy”.

WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: IN ABROAD

Women's Mental Health Services at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and
Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital (BWFH) are designed to meet the unique needs of
women with depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Women's hormones,
reproductive cycle changes, and life experiences can influence their vulnerability to
emotional disturbances, and can affect decisions about medications, psychotherapy and other
forms of treatment.
The BWH and BWFH mental health team is a group of clinicians with specialized training
and expertise in treating women with these and other problems:
 Psychiatric symptoms during pregnancy and postpartum
 Reactions to infertility or pregnancy loss
 Premenstrual mood symptoms
 Psychiatric symptoms/emotional changes during the transition to menopause (per
menopause)
 Non-hormonal treatment of hot flashes associated with mood symptoms.
 Reactions to breast cancer, uterine cancer, hysterectomy or other gynaecologic
problems.
During times of reproductive transition (pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause),
some women are at heightened risk of developing problems with depression and/or anxiety.
There are ways in which women can effectively prevent these problems over the course of
their reproductive lives. The clinicians in the BWH and BWFH mental health services work
with women to plan preventive strategies, including:
 Planning for healthy pregnancies for women with pre-existing psychiatric disorders,
and/or women who take medications for mood or anxiety problems. This includes
consultation about how to minimize risks of psychiatric medications while trying to
conceive, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding, and about alternatives to medication.
 Assessing a woman's risk for postpartum depression or anxiety before or during
pregnancy, and forming a plan to reduce this risk.
 Assessing a woman's risk for developing depression or anxiety during perimenopause,
and forming a plan to reduce this risk.
Service Delivery Issues:
• The low detection and referral rates for mental disorders in primary care may affect women
disproportionately more than they affect men, because women tend to present to primary rather
than referral facilities when they have a mental health problem.
• Gender-related experiences and stereotypes on the part of the physician may influence the
diagnosis of depression and the higher rates of prescription of psychotropic drugs to women.
• Gender stereotyping may also lead to under-diagnosis of mental health problems in men.

SERVICE PROVISION AND UTILIZATION IN INDIA

Psychiatric epidemiological data cite a ratio of one woman
for every three men attending public health psychiatric
outpatients’ clinics in urban India. Indian state officials view
this as “under-utilization” by suffering women, attributing it
to the greater stigma attached to women’s mental illness that
restricts help-seeking in public health facilities and/or to the
lower importance accorded to women’s health generally.
 In India, the absence of any clear policies for the welfare of severely ill women, and
the social stigma further compounds the problem.
Psychiatric epidemiological data cite a ratio of one woman for every three men
attending public health psychiatric outpatients’ clinics in urban India. Indian state officials view
this as “under-utilization” by suffering women, attributing it to the greater stigma attached to
women’s mental illness that restricts help-seeking in public health facilities and/or to the lower
importance accorded to women’s health generally.
Gender heightens the discrepancy between prevalence and utilization. This low
attendance is partly explained by the lack of availability of resources for women in the hospital
settings. The mental hospitals appear to cater primarily to men in distress, and there is
sex-based discrimination in the availability of beds. The male: female ratio for the allotment of
beds in government mental hospitals with only service was 73%:27% while those with service,
research, and training was 66%:34%.
IMPLICATIONS NEEDED FOR MENTAL HEALTH POLICIES AND
PROGRAMMES IN INDIA
 • Mental health policies and programmes should incorporate an understanding of gender issues
• Gender-based barriers to accessing mental health care need to be addressed in programme
planning.
• A public health approach to improve primary prevention, and address risk factors, many of
which are gender-specific, is needed
• If gender discrimination, gender-based violence and gender-role stereotyping underlies at
least some part of the distress, then these need to be addressed through legislation and specific
policies, programmes and interventions.
• Training for building health providers’ capacity to identify and to treat mental disorders in
primary health care services needs to integrate a gender analysis.
• Provision of community-based care for chronic mental disorders should be organized to
ensure that facilities meet the specific needs of women and men, and that the burden of caring
does not fall disproportionately on women.
It is clear that women’s mental health cannot be considered in isolation from social,
political, and economic issues. A woman’s health must incorporate mental and physical health
across the life cycle and should reach beyond the narrow perspective of reproductive and
maternal health, which is often the focus of our policies.
Making policies will:
• reflect and contribute to the government-wide commitment to ensure fairness and equity for
all women, of all ages and all backgrounds.
• help in laying the foundations
• learning and development
• help women with leadership
• provide gender-specific provision:
 Women-only day services
 Crisis houses for women
 Single-sex inpatient accommodation
 Secure services for women
 Education, training, and interventions targeting the social
 and physical environment
Education, training, and interventions targeting the social
and physical environment
 Education, training, and interventions targeting the social
 and physical environment
 Education, training, and interventions targeting the social and physical environment.
 In primary care: improving access to psychological therapies
 Interventions at various levels aiming at both individual women and women as a large
section of the society at primary care delivery as well on legal and judicial fronts.
 Gender issues in assessment and care planning
 Initiatives to tackle violence and abuse
 Develop perinatal mental health services to improve recognition of and responses to
the needs of women as mothers and care givers.
It is essential to develop and adopt strategies that will improve the social status of
women, remove gender disparities, provide economic and political power, increase awareness
of their rights, and so on. Although much depends upon the policy makers and planners, but
women must also learn to speak for themselves. Women must act as social activists to fight
against the social evils, which are responsible for their woes. Women's anti-alcohol
movement in Andhra Pradesh where they destroyed the liquor shops to fight drunkenness of
their husbands is a historical landmark. Similar movements to fight prostitution, sexual abuse,
and domestic violence could be historical leading steps.
RESEARCH
Ansuman Panigrahi, Aditya Prasad Padhy, and Madhulita Panigrahi
Department of Community Medicine, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, KIIT
University, Campus-5, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024, India
Published on 31 March 2014
Academic Editor: Antonella Gigantesco.
Abstract - Mental health is a major public health concern worldwide. This study aimed to
assess the mental health status and its correlates among married working women residing in
Bhubaneswar city of Odisha, India. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 240
households involving 240 married working women following a multistage cluster random
sampling design. Using the predesigned, pretested interview schedule and self-reporting
questionnaire, all relevant information was collected. Our study revealed that 32.9% of study
respondents had poor mental health and only about 10% of these women had sought any kind
of mental health services. Logistic regression analysis showed that 3 predictors such as
favourable attitude of colleagues, sharing their own problems with husband, and spending
time for yoga/meditation/exercise had significant positive impact on the mental health status
of married working women. A preventive program regarding various aspects of mental health
for married working women at workplace as well as community level could be a useful
strategy in reducing this public health problem.
Source- BioMed Research International
Volume 2014, Article ID 979827, 7 pages
Content available at-
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/979827
SUMMARY
We have studied about the introduction of women and mental health, definition of
women and mental health, women and mental health facts. Common mental disorders, mental
health and mental disorder, mental health- gender differences.

 CONCLUSION
At the end of this topic, we will get to know about the women and mental health, why
the mental disorder occurs more in wife as compare to the men.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:
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JOURNAL:
 Savita Malhotra And Ruchita Shah, Women And Mental Health In India: An Overview,
Indian J Psychiatry,Vol.57(supp1.2),july2015, content available at-
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4539863/
INTERNET:
 National Institute Of Mental Health, Women And Mental Health , content available at -
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml
 WHO, Gender And Women’s Mental Health, content available at-
https://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en/
 Anna Chandy, Why women need to make mental health a priority , content available at-
https://yourstory.com/2019/01/women-need-make-mental-health-priority