International Perspectives on Women’s Mental Health

Research suggests that mental health concerns are more likely to be present among women than among men worldwide. Specifically, the World Health Organization recognizes that depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints are more likely to be diagnosed in women than in men and that [Page 957]unipolar depression is twice as likely to be diagnosed in women as in men. There is no definitive rationale for why this is the case, and a complete understanding is lacking in terms of what women’s mental health entails and how women enhance their mental health. A widely accepted definition of mental health that has been adopted by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes individuals being able to recognize their capabilities, manage the stressful ...