Here's a question: if I care about mental health for all people – not just women (which I do), why would I take part in a fundraiser specifically directed at women’s mental health only?
When I found out about Liptember, as a woman with a mental illness who likes makeup, it seemed like a pretty good fit. It also seemed like a no-brainer to me that mental health would effect men and women differently. It wasn’t until I began to dig a little deeper that I realised how important funding directed specifically to women’s mental health research was.
Throughout history, the standard patient upon which treatment and diagnostic strategies are based has been a 70kg (presumably white) man (source: Kulkarni). This means that social, biological and epidemiological differences between men and women, such as the structural and functional differences in women’s brains and endocrine systems, have been largely ignored. According to some researchers, factors such as gender related poverty, workplace inequalities (like discrimination or the pay gap) societal differences (like child-care responsibilities) and gender related violence have been under-emphasised in research. Additionally, prevalence rates for particular mental health issues between the genders, which in and of itself would seem to be a reason to dig more deeply into how women are affected.
Then there are the mental health issues which relate specifically to reproduction in women - menstruation, pre-natal, pregnancy, post-partum - all biological but all with effects on mental health. According to the Centre for Women's Mental Health, about 15% of women will experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy, and an even larger number in the post-natal period. More broadly, around 75% of women with regular menstrual cycles report psychological symptoms pre-menstrually, and up to 8% of women in their reproductive years experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a condition characterised by significant premenstrual mood disturbance, reactive moods and irritability to the extent that it is debilitating (source: Massachussets General Hospital Centre for Women's Mental Health).
Where research has taken place, it is clear that there are genuine differences between the way women and men experience mental illness. For example, some research has shown that women and men experience schizophrenia differently (source: Morgan, Castle & Jablensky) and treatment using the oestrogen hormone can have a beneficial effect to pre-menopausal women experiencing schizophrenia (source: Alfred Psychiatry Resource Centre).
It’s important to note that talking about mental illness as it relates to biology and social influences excludes an important category of women – trans women. Transgender people disproportionately experience mental health issues, and the messaging around campaigns like Liptember can be harmful and exclusionary. In the future, I would love to see Liptember support trans women by raising awareness of the mental health issues they face, including contributing funding for research like the ‘From Blues to Rainbows’ report by beyondblue and trans-specific treatment services.
So in answer to the question ‘Why women?’ it seems trite to answer ‘Because men and women are different’. But when you boil it down, for me, that’s why. Liptember supports research by the Centre for Women’s Mental Health and crisis support at Lifeline making an incredible partnership that will benefit thousands of women both now and in the future. Some of the previous outcomes of Liptember include:
- research on depression following a cancer diagnoses
- research and training for the detection and treatment of mental health disorders arising during and after pregnancy
- launched Newborn Behavioural Observation (NBO) system - a groundbreaking postnatal depression program supporting the connection between mothers and newborns
- expanded the Lifeline Online crisis support chat
- funded training for 4 telephone crisis supporters, allowing Lifeline to answer an additional 1350 calls.
I’m so proud to be able to stand up and give my support to this cause. I hope you’ll consider supporting me to do so.
To donate to my Liptember campaign, click here.