Women and Men With Mental Illnesses: Voicing Different Service Needs

In: Affilia: journal of women and social work, Band 21, Heft 4, S. 407-418

Abstract

Women with mental illnesses have reported that one painful aspect of living with their diagnosis is the loss of personal identity when they are labeled "mentally ill." Although a number of studies have focused on services to address issues of relevance to women, few have explored the different ways in which women and men view services within the mental health system. Using a focus-group approach, the authors conducted a study that examined the service needs and views of women and men with mental illnesses. This article reports on this study and identifies the participants' common and unique needs and views and discusses the implications for research and practice.