Generations of Women in Crisis - A Call for Help!

A new report " Women Like Me: Supporting Wellbeing in Girls and Women" carried out by Platform 51, formerly the YWCA, reveals that three-in-five (63 percent) of girls and women, have been affected by mental health problems in England and Wales.  That is the equivalent of 15.2 million girls and women.  Girls and women are almost twice as likely as boys and men to suffer from depression and almost one third have taken anti depressants.   

The research includes national polling conducted by Opinium LLP and focus groups with Platform 51 service users.  The researchers carried out a nationally representative survey of 2,000 girls and women aged 12 and over in England and Wales.  It found that generations of women experience low-level mental health problems that negatively impacts their lives and hinders their potential.  This may include depression, stress, low self esteem, self harm and suicidal thoughts.

The report states, that these mental health issues are often triggered by traumatic events such as, emotional and physical abuse, relationship breakdown, bereavement, unemployment and debt.  However, the study indicates that many women, who are experiencing or have experienced difficult situations, may appear to be functioning normally and coping adequately, when in reality they are struggling. 

Mental health problems can have a profound impact on women’s lives and can also be detrimental for their families, their colleagues and the wider society.  Statistics show that 44 percent of women with mental health problems took time off work, with one in four taking off at least a week a year.  Isolation from friends and family was shown to be a common behaviour with 48 percent staying in bed or at home and as a result more than a quarter (28 percent) had lost friends.  In addition, 27 percent admitted to regularly drinking in order to get drunk and one in five (21 percent) had built up debt. 

Although mental health issues in girls and women is not a new concept, evidence from a 2009 NHS report demonstrates that women's mental health is worsening.  Therefore, as the report identifies, the current approach is not working and more needs to be done to address the problem. 

The group called on ministers to review the “over-reliance” on anti-depressant drugs to treat mild and moderate mental health problems and to make counseling and psychotherapy more easily available to women.   

Penny Newman, Platform 51's chief executive, said:
"Millions of girls and women are not getting the support they need. Women are often the linchpins of their families and their communities, and if three in five of them aren't functioning at their best they lose out, their family and friends lose out and so does wider society.
"Working with girls and women every day for over 150 years we have seen time and time again how often mental health can hold women back.
"Policy-makers need to act now to address this unseen crisis in women's mental health and provide a range of effective interventions. We must put an end to the dependency culture that has built up around prescription drugs, giving women more choice and control over the support they receive.”

International Women’s Day is on the 8^th March this year and the RSPH are running a Programme on Women’s Health and Well-being.  The event will raise awareness of interrelationship between lifestyle and health, while educating participants about the steps they can take to empower women to improve their physical and mental health.  For further information or to attend the programme please contact Nicolette Smith or by phone 020 3177 1625. 

Pressure At Work Can Increase Risk Of Heart  Problems for Women

Previously cardiovascular disease and stress in the workplace has been centred around men's health.  However, in a study examining the health of women,  researchers found that women who reported high job strain, were forty percent more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, increased cholesterol and excess body weight.

Job strain, a form of psychological stress, is defined as having a demanding job, with little to no decision-making authority or opportunities to use one’s creative or individual skills.  Job insecurity, fear of loosing ones job, was also a factor leading to stress in the workplace.

Researchers from the Women's Health Study, analyzed job strain in 17,415 healthy women over a 10 year period.  The women were primarily Caucasian, with an average age of 57 and provided relevant information about heart disease, job strain and job insecurity.  The  findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010. 

   

The study discovered that the 40 percent higher risks for women who reported high job strain included heart attacks, ischemic strokes, coronary artery bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty and death. The increased risk of heart attack was about 88 percent, while the risk of bypass surgery or invasive procedure was about 43 percent.

Natalie Slopen, Sc.D., lead researcher and a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University Center on the Developing Child in Boston, noted that; “Women in jobs characterized by high demands and low control, as well as jobs with high demands but a high sense of control are at higher risk for heart disease long term,” 

As such, from a public health perspective, it is vital for employers to monitor perceived employee job strain and initiate programs to alleviate and manage stress, in order prevent ill health in the workplace. 

The RSPH Training Solutions offers a course on Mental Health First Aid in the workplace. The course focuses on the personal impact of poor mental health, and on the importance of appreciating good mental health, for both ourselves and others.  For further information on this, please click here or contact Nicolette Smith nsmith@rsph.org.uk