Women and Mental Health

Mental illnesses affect women and men differently—some disorders are more common in women, and some express themselves with different symptoms. Scientists are only now beginning to tease apart the contributions of various biological and psychosocial factors to mental health and mental illness in both women and men. In addition, researchers are currently studying the special problems of treatment for serious mental illness during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

The mental disorders affecting women include the following:

• Anxiety Disorders, including OCD, panic, PTSD, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorders.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD, ADD)
• Bipolar Disorder
• Borderline Personality Disorder
• Depression
• Eating Disorders
• Schizophrenia

Related Information

• Women's Health Information from the NLM's MedlinePlus, in English and Spanish
• Some mental illnesses also carry an increased risk for suicide.

Publications/Resource Materials

Read, print, or order NIMH booklets, fact sheets, and other publications on women and mental illness such as:

More Publications>>

Research

• Women's Mental Health Consortium (Catherine Roca, M.D., Chair, e-mail: croca@mail.nih.gov)
• Clinical Trials