Although it is a common term in today's society, mental illness is still underdiagnosed by doctors. It is estimated that less than half of individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for psychological disorders receive an accurate diagnosis from doctors. The reason for this statistic is primarily due to incorrect diagnoses by a doctor, but also due to lack of motivation to seek help. The World Health Organization estimates that only 2 in 5 people with symptoms of a psychological disorder will seek help within the first year after problems appear. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many would be surprised to know that when comparing overall rates of mental illness, the comparison between men and women is very similar. The differences are found in the types of mental illness experienced by men compared to the same experiences experienced by women (Bower, 2017). This article will aim to inform readers about why gender has such a big impact on mental illness and what experiences people with mental illness are willing to engage in. We'll explore why different genders are more likely to be diagnosed with certain conditions. . We will also explore the impact of specific conditions on the likelihood that a person will seek help because of their identified gender. Gender differences exist in help-seeking patterns for all psychological disorders. Regarding type of outpatient mental health service use, men were more likely than women to see a primary care physician and a mental health specialist in the past year. However, women were more likely than men to see a primary care doctor only rather than not see a doctor at all. Sex-specific differences that make men less likely to seek services include lower adjusted family income and, for women, younger age, presence of social support, self-reported barriers to availability, presence suicidal thoughts or attempts and lower self-evaluation. perceived mental health. The gender a person identifies with is a key determinant of the amount of awareness and support a person with mental illness will receive. The negative connotations associated with mental illness in general are much more targeted and publicized than the disincentives and gender-specific mechanisms that are intended to promote, protect and create mental health. An individual's gender determines the perceived power and control that men and women have over their condition. Socio-economic situations, position in the social scale, status in the community, access to treatment and exposure to risk factors are all elements that women and men face. at different rates depending on their gender (World Health, 2014). Gender stereotypes regarding the propensity for emotional problems in women and alcohol problems in men appear to reinforce social stigma and limit help-seeking along stereotypical lines. They constitute an obstacle to the accurate identification and treatment of psychological disorders. Despite these differences, most women and men suffering from emotional distress and/or psychological disorders are unfortunately neither identified nor treated by their doctor. Let's throw alook at the statistics regarding mental illness as a whole. In today's society, people as a whole suffer from at least one episode of depression or anxiety at some point in their lives. Abnormal is the new normal, as only a small percentage of the world's population aged 11 to 38 is considered mentally healthy. John Schafer, a psychologist at Duke University, says: "For many, an episode of mental disorder is like the flu, bronchitis, kidney stones, a fracture or other (common) ailments,… Sufferers suffer from impaired functioning. Many seek medical attention, but most recover.' Depressive disorders represent nearly 41.9% of disabilities linked to neuropsychiatric disorders in women compared to 29.3% in men (World Health, 2014). The main mental health problems among older people are depression, organic brain syndromes and dementias, the majority of which are women. An estimated 80% of the 50 million people affected by violent conflicts, civil wars, disasters and displacement are women and children, which is a warning sign of the development of mental illness. The lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women ranges from 16% to 50% depending on numerous contributing factors and at least one in five women are victims of rape or attempted rape during of his life (Global Health, 2014). Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sexual violence. , domestic violence and increasing rates of substance use affect women more than men in different countries and contexts. The pressures created by their multiple roles, gender discrimination and the associated factors of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, overwork, domestic violence and sexual abuse, combine to explain women's poor mental health ( Global Health, 2014). There is a positive relationship between the frequency and severity of these social factors and the frequency and severity of mental health problems among women. Serious life events that cause feelings of loss, inferiority and humiliation can foreshadow depression, which we know is one of the most diagnosed illnesses in women. A lot of times I think we in America forget that there are others in other countries who are experiencing these same struggles, mostly due to our westernized perspective. Up to 20% of people receiving primary health care in developing countries are known to suffer from anxiety or depressive disorders. In most centers, these patients are not recognized and therefore not treated. Communication between health workers and patients is extremely authoritarian in many countries, making it difficult and often stigmatized for a woman to disclose her psychological and emotional distress. When women dare to reveal their problems, many health workers tend to have gender biases that lead them to wrongly diagnose or treat them. Depression as a whole is a common mental health problem among women, but it is also thought to have more of an impact on women. When the word depression is mentioned, it is likely that the image a person has in mind is that of a woman. This pattern generated by your brain is the result of the overrepresentation of women with depression in the media. This over-representation of people suffering from depression among women has had two effects in the eyes of the population. First, women are diagnosed instantly when they experience what appear to be symptoms of depression, without actuallyunderstand the real problem and men don't ask for help when they feel them. are suspected of suffering from depression, in an attempt to avoid being perceived as less virile. Reducing this overrepresentation of women will significantly contribute to the improvement of society, but we must first understand the factors that contribute to gender stereotypes in mental illness and how to overcome these obstacles if we are to see permanent change for the better. Life after being diagnosed with a mental illness is also often difficult and shameful due to the societal stigma attached to this illness. For starters, women with mental illnesses are often sexually exploited. Due to contributing factors, many women are unable to access appropriate care and treatment for their mental illness. Lack of resources and stigmatization of those who need help leave women with few options. Homelessness and mental illness go hand in hand, as both situations contribute to the occurrence of the other. In a large majority of reported cases, women with mental illness are sexually exploited in exchange for access to their basic needs. Several studies indicate that pathways to homelessness differ by gender. For example, homeless women are more likely to experience violence than men and more likely to report family disruption or dysfunction, while men are more likely to report job loss, mental illness and substance use problems as precursors to homelessness. Clark's article, 2003, highlighted that homeless populations are diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender and that pathways to homelessness as well as mental illness are diverse and difficult to map transparently. violence or homelessness, but even people with adequate access to care and who are actively trying to fight their illness still have difficulties in daily life because of their condition. I'm sure everyone knows at least someone who has trouble finding a significant other or an Oden who has difficulty maintaining a healthy relationship with their significant other, many of whom live with mental illness. It is not surprising that having a mental illness reduces the chances of marriage for both men and women due to multiple factors. The main factors that contribute to this perception of dangerousness of people with mental illness, the stigma related to mental health and the long lifespan of people with mental illness. long-term nature of the illness compared to people without mental illness (Hailemariam, 2019). It's no secret that people with mental illness tend to have smaller social circles, which often don't extend beyond family and close friends. Stigma has been cited as the main factor limiting social interaction for people with mental illness. The following comment has been made regarding friendships with people with mental illness (Clark, 2003): “People in the community don't make friends with them (people with mental illness). They are usually alone. Nobody wants to be with them. People are afraid to marry them. They will face problems until they recover and become healthy again. Another participant gave his perspective on marriage for people with mental illness: “There are a lot of things people want to know before allowing marriage, even for couples without mental illness., 18(3), 341-358.