11 - Failed by Mental Health Care

Summary

Both research into mental illness and its care have largely been conceived of and designed by men. There is insufficient research into women’s experience of serious mental illnesses and training provided in how to help them. Some diagnoses have been only lately recognised in women; for example, autism and ADHD, which continue to be misdiagnosed. Services have striven to be ‘gender neutral,’ which in practice means primarily designed around men. Not only are women not treated with sufficient respect, dignity and compassion, but there is also evidence of widespread sexual assualt of women within mental health care and of frank abuse within services, with maltreatment associated with suicides of young women. Women are being re-traumatised. There is also insufficient recognition of the harms from and lack of adequate regulation of psychological therapy. Feminist psychiatrists are stuck between the two poles of mainstream feminism who see no role for psychiatry at all and defensive institutions. We need to ensure that women who are detained in hospital have advocacy and know their rights under the law, and build true collaboration across sectors to bring about change.