Women’s mental health needs not receiving ‘adequate consideration’

Campaigners from Agenda, an alliance of over 60 groups for females at risk, has warned that women’s mental health needs are not being considered sufficiently, despite a rising rate of female suicide.

The campaign group compiled information by submitting a series of Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to 57 mental health trusts in England. Of the 35 trusts that responded to the enquiry, only Surrey was identified as operating a gender-specific strategy.

The data also revealed that less than half of the trusts had a policy which involved routinely asking female patients about their experience of domestic abuse, even though it is advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Agenda highlighted a statement previously published by the Department of Health in 2002, which advised that: “All organisations should aim to ensure that they are sensitive to gender… and the specific needs of women. Addressing these issues should be an integral activity and not an afterthought."

It outlined that the recommendation had not been translated into policy.

Katharine Sacks-Jones, director of Agenda, said: "Our mental health trusts are not adequately considering the needs of women.

"Women facing poor mental health are among the most vulnerable people. The majority have experienced violence and abuse and many report needing women-specific spaces to feel safe."

The female rate of suicide has increased from 4.8 to 5.2 deaths per 100,000 people, while the male rate has decreased from 17.8 to 16.8 deaths per 100,000.

A Department of Health spokesman said: "It is vital that all mental health care, particularly when abuse is involved, takes account of gender.

"Clinical guidelines are clear on this and the NHS has recently published its strategy for mental health; equality is central to this and we expect this to lead to rapid improvement across all care."