5 things everyone should know
Mental health problems and illnesses can affect any of us. But women and their mental health are exposed to different influences than men. What these are and why this is important.
Women are different from men, somehow – that is well known. This also includes differences in the area of mental health and mental illness. Women have different conditions and sometimes different symptoms than men. Prof. Dr. Stephanie Krüger explains why this is the case and what it means. Among other things, she is chief physician of the centers for mental health for women at the Vivantes Klinika Spandau and Humboldt in Berlin.
1. Why it is important to specifically consider and treat women’s mental health
Women have a different hormonal situation than men, that is the decisive factor, says Prof. Krüger. “That is why mental illnesses related to hormonal changes are specific to women. These include pregnancy, the postpartum period, menopause, premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDS), and also hormonal changes in the context of oncological diseases.” And: medications work differently in women due to their body structure, including in terms of side effects. “All of these are issues that we don’t have with men, and that is why there must be specific advice for women.”
2. More women are affected than you might think
How often do such hormonally (partly) caused mental illnesses occur? Depression during pregnancy and postpartum affect around 20 percent of women, up to 60 percent of all women have mild PMDS and around 10 to 15 percent have clinically significant symptoms, according to Krüger, and psychologically relevant menopausal symptoms affect around 20 to 25 percent of all women.
3. Symptoms may vary between men and women
Of course, there are overlaps in the signs of depression, for example, but there are also differences: Men tend to exhibit conspicuous behavior (acting out) such as excessive work or alcohol abuse, while women are more likely to show emotional and physical symptoms (acting in), explains the doctor: Acting in means that women have more symptoms on an emotional level, and more often physical symptoms too.
4. There is specific help
Women should use medical options to alleviate their symptoms, including medication, advises Krüger, because: “There are lots of women with identical symptoms, and there is a lot that can be done.” Shame or reticence are completely inappropriate. Especially because there is still a lot of stigmatization and trivialization: “There are studies that show that young women are not taken as seriously as young men with psychological symptoms. They are often labeled as hysterical, and there is certainly still a lot to be done.”
5. Women can and should do something for themselves
By consciously planning their lives, women can influence their mental well-being: “I can’t change my genetics, but I can change my work life and possible stresses in my family and private life. I can influence things like how I deal with them and how much time I take for myself,” emphasizes Prof. Dr. med. Stephanie Krüger.
“Even if the term mindfulness is perhaps overused at the moment, it is important to regularly listen to yourself in everyday life: “How am I doing? Have I reached my limits?” If a woman has symptoms such as heavy sweating and irritability during the menopause, she should perhaps take it easy and not power through without end. (dpa)
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