Gender Differences In Women's Mental Health

It is a widely accepted view that health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. International data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that mental illness affects between 20 and 25 per cent of all people during some time in their life, that one in four families in the world has at least one member with mental health difficulties and that four of the six leading causes of disability are due to mental health problems (depression, alcohol abuse, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder).

It is recognised that women’s mental health is an essential part in their overall health.
Women have a unique biological, psychological and social factors that make them more vulnerable to developing a mental illness. Mental health …show more content…
Gender differences can be seen in the rates of common mental health issues including depression and anxiety in which women predominate. Bipolar depression for example is twice as prevalent in women as it is in …show more content…
These can be mainly subdivided into three broad categories: the female body or biological theory, the female personality or psychological theory and lastly the female lives or social theories (Stoppard, J.M., 2000). Today women are expected to fulfil a variety of different roles at the one time. These can be wife, mother, carer, employee, home-maker and meeting these strenuous demands can lead to stressful situations. Not only do these demands affect each other but also the health of the women and can pose problems for female mental health. Women are disadvantaged also by the multiple roles they perform in society as carers, partners and workers. And throughout their lifetime women are also more likely to be affected by physical and sexual abuse, all of which can have serious physical and mental health repercussions (WHO,