Women’s mental health a top priority

A new government report has outlined better care principles for women experiencing mental ill health, which consider individual and gender-specific needs.

The report, published by the Women’s Mental Health Taskforce, sets out its principles for better gender- and trauma-informed care, encouraging commissioners, providers and practitioners to promote best practice in their organisations, while considering women’s individual, gender-specific needs.

The report looks at: the influence of women’s roles as mothers and carers on their needs, which is rarely considered in the care they receive; and the trauma experienced by many women in inpatient facilities when they have been victims of violence and abuse in the past.

The Taskforce considers other issues that often affect women and girls more than men and boys, including the following recommendations: clearly considering women’s needs in all future mental health policy development; improving trauma-informed care; supporting routine enquiry about violence and abuse in future policy development; using the principles of the taskforce to inform service design and delivery for women’s mental health; recognising that women’s identities, and often their roles as mothers and carers, are important in individual treatment and in-service planning; and ensuring the safety of women in residential mental health care by ending breaches of single-sex wards, and improving practice and reporting processes around sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: “Women are more likely to experience common mental health conditions than men – this is particularly stark among young women, who are three times more likely than young men to experience a common mental disorder, such as anxiety or depression.

“Yet, too often, we hear stories of women who describe feeling powerless when it comes to their mental health treatment, those who feel neglected by inadequate aftercare or, more alarmingly, those who feel at risk in inpatient services, whether that’s because of breaches in single-sex wards or the fear of restraint or observations by male staff members.

“This just isn’t good enough. I’m determined that this report will take an important first step towards our aim of tackling the injustices facing women, while ensuring that no vulnerable woman slips through the net. I appeal to partners across the health, justice and social care systems to work together to drive forward our ethos and ensure that women receive the high-quality care they deserve. Mental health is a top priority for this government and will be a key part of the upcoming long-term plan for the NHS, which will help us drive the outcomes of this report forward.”