A Research Agenda for Women's Mental Health

Abstract

Since many of the major psychiatric illnesses are more prevalent in women than men, women have generally been adequately represented in studies of patients with mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. However, women with substance abuse disorders have received little research attention, and a number of recent studies show significant gender differences in the presentation and course of alcoholism. In addition, remarkably little research has been done on the psychiatric effects of the menopause in depressed women, despite the fact that the two conditions frequently coexist. The advantages of a biopsychosocial approach to women's mental health research are discussed.