Mental Illness & Treatment in White Female Culture
Women are twice as like as men to be diagnosed with depression.
Statistics
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1 in 5 women experience a Common Mental Disorder, such as anxiety or depression, compared to 1 in 8 men.
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A quarter of young women have self-harmed. Evidence shows that this number is growing.
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1 in 7 young women suffer from PTSD.​
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72% of those who are in suicide counseling with NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) are girls.
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In 2020, there were an estimated 52.9 million adults aged 18 or older in the United States with AMI (any mental illness). This number represented 21.0% of all U.S. adults. The prevalence of any mental illness was higher among females (25.8%) than males (15.8%). The prevalence of AMI was highest among the adults reporting two or more races (35.8%), followed by white adults (22.6%). The prevalence of AMI was lowest among Asian adults (13.9%).
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In 2015, The University of Michigan conducted a study. They found that non-Hispanic white women who were living in rural areas had higher rates of either lifetime and/or 12-month major depressive disorder/mood disorder than African-American women living in rural areas and white women living in urban areas.
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21.8% of non-Hispanic white women had a significantly higher lifetime prevalence of mood disorder regardless of where they live.
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Researchers at the University of Michigan were led to believe these numbers were because rural women had many more responsibilities, such as homework, child care, and labor force, ultimately creating additional stress.
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Why the Stigma?
There is not much of a stigma with women and mental health. Stereotypically, women are seen as more emotional individuals than men and more open about talking about their feelings as well. That is not to say that women are not stigmatized. Women are just stigmatized internally while men are stigmatized externally. Women, however, experience significantly higher levels of internalized stigma.