Women need to be aware of mental health issues

Women should be aware of the range of mental health issues that could affect them during the course of their lives, one expert has advised.

According to Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, women should take the time to look after their mental health, as a growing number of middle aged females are experiencing problems in later life.

The comments follow the publication of the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England study, which was released in 2007 and found that nearly one in four people (23 per cent) in England experience at least one psychiatric disorder during the course of their lives.

Furthermore, the household survey revealed that those affected were more likely to have a lower adjusted household income.

The study also found the situation in this field to be worsening. The proportion of women aged from 16 to 64 suffering a common mental disorder - typically, depression or anxiety - increased from 19.1 per cent in 1993 to 21.5 per cent (one in five of the adult female population) in 2007.

However, the rate in men did not change significantly.

Alison Kerry, a spokesperson for Mind, said: “The rise in the number of middle aged women experiencing anxiety and depression is very worrying and could be a reflection of the fact that many women are finding themselves bringing up young children or teenagers whilst also caring for elderly relatives and maintaining their career.

“Juggling all of these demands can be extremely hard work and leave women without the time to look after their own wellbeing, both physical and mental.”

Statistics published by the Mental Health Foundation have revealed that one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year.

Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain and women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men.

Furthermore, about ten per cent of children have a mental health problem at any one time and depression affects one in five older people living in the community and two in five living in care homes.

Ms Kerry concluded that in order to combat these problems women need to be aware of the issues they are facing and how to take care of themselves.

She advised: “Women need to make sure that they are aware of their mental health and take the time to look after it, for example through exercise or relaxation techniques, and we also need to ensure that help and support is available to them should they need it."