Women and Mental Health: Why Is Women’s Mental Health Important?
Women and mental health are connected by biological, social, and psychological factors. Different conditions affect the mental health of women in different ways. It is thus important to understand women's mental health issues for their overall well-being, treatment, and support.
In the following sections, we take a deep dive into women and mental illness, what specific challenges women face, the factors that cause mental health problems, and how Jagruti Rehab can help give specialised care to women-centric mental health issues.
What Affects Women’s Mental Health?
The mental health of a woman is influenced and impacted by a number of factors. Knowing and understanding these well can help women take care of their mental health and overall wellness. Let's understand the factors in detail:
1. Biological Factors
A woman goes through cycles of hormonal changes, and there could be a number of reasons affecting it. Menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, and childbirth typically influence the shift in hormones. Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety can amplify due to the shifts.
Research has shown women are more prone to depression, anxiety, and mood disorders due to hormonal fluctuations and imbalances.
2. Social and Cultural Expectations
Society has set roles for women, which creates expectations for them. Women are often expected to be caregivers, nurturers, and providers. The inability to fulfil these roles ideally while balancing work and family can cause stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue. Societal pressure can first cause insecurities in people, further leading to more serious mental conditions.
3. Trauma and Abuse
A woman may have trauma from childhood abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, family loss, accidents, etc. Disturbing experiences such as these can leave long-term effects on the minds of women, triggering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or acute anxiety. Also, women with a history of trauma or abuse mostly do not get the required mental health care, which can further make the condition more acute.
4. Life Transitions
Big life-changing transitions can affect any person, including women and mental health. Stress at the time of marriage, pregnancy, postpartum depression, career issues, etc., can trigger mental health issues in women. Also, hormonal changes during these transitions can make dealing with stress more difficult, leading to women's mental health depression and anxiety.
Common Mental Health Problems in Women
There are different types of mental health conditions, and any of them can happen to women. However, women, in particular, are more prone to some mental conditions, such as:
1. Depression
One of the most common mental health problems in women is depression. Due to factors like hormones, responsibilities, societal expectations, and other stress, women are more prone to getting affected by depression. Major life transitioning events may also trigger depression, like miscarriage, breakup or divorce, death, major financial loss, etc. While the onset of the condition may often begin with a deep sadness, it develops into hopelessness, fatigue, loss of interest and joy in anything.
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2. Anxiety
Another very common mental health problem in women is anxiety. Juggling between family and career and trying to meet societal expectations often triggers generalised anxiety and panic attacks. Hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy can add up to make dealing with the condition more difficult.
3. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Women with a history of sexual assault, domestic violence, or any other type of trauma may suffer from PTSD. They may get anxiety, flashbacks of the past, suicidal thoughts, etc..during the episodes of depression.
4. Eating Disorders
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are the three eating disorders often born out of body insecurities. These disorders can have severe psychological and physical effects, including life risk and hence require handling patients sensitively.
Why Is Women’s Mental Health Important?
Monitoring women and mental illness is extremely crucial. It is because of the number of factors regularly influencing the mental health of women. While factors like trauma and genetic influence can happen to anyone, hormonal fluctuations, social pressures, abuse, and stress to balance home and work are more common for women. With so many factors constantly contributing to developing mental health issues, women need care and support to deal with the triggers. If the conditions in the initial stage are left unaddressed, these issues can leave a deep impact on the woman’s mind, leaving long-term consequences on the health and relationships of the woman.
How Can Jagruti Rehab Help Women with Mental Health Issues?
Jagruti Rehab is a safe space for women where women are understood, helped and supported. Our team of psychiatrists and therapists are not only experienced but also compassionate when treating their patients. We handle women’s mental health, depression and anxiety issues with care. Our team ensures maximum comfort and support through the process to make healing their minds an enjoyable process. The following are some of our specialised programs designed for women:
- Individual counselling
- Group therapy
- Support groups
- Specialised Programs for Postpartum Depression
- Family therapy
- Mindful activities
At Jagruti Rehab, we prioritise both women and mental health. We focus on helping women by addressing their root causes, healing them with therapies, and finally making them strong to combat future stress.
Frequently asked questions
Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and eating disorders are some of the most common mental health issues in women.
Pregnancy causes hormonal changes and can be extremely tough for a woman, both physically and emotionally. And the stress continues postpartum. They need special care and support as there is an increased risk of developing anxiety and depression during this whole period.
Society’s expectations and pressure of how a woman should behave and look, as well as the definition of an ideal woman, can put a lot of pressure on women. Eating disorders are often developed from insecurities. Constant judgments and expectations can trigger mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
Mental health issues in women can affect their health, daily life, work, and relationships. With unique challenges and multiple factors contributing to their mental health, they need someone who understands them first and then helps them. At Jagruti Rehab, we design our treatment keeping in mind the unique needs of a woman and, most importantly, with compassion. We focus on providing women with a safe space where they feel understood and supported while getting helped.
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Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre is a leading facility specializing in mental health, dementia, and addiction recovery. The team of psychiatrists, psychologists, and caregivers is committed to empowering individuals on their journey to recovery.
