Am J Psychiatry 1981; 138:1319-1330
Copyright © 1981 by American Psychiatric Association
Inequality and women's mental health: an overview
E Carmen, NF Russo and JB Miller
Complex processes of sex bias and sex-role stereotyping continue to detract
from the quality of mental health services to both sexes, but particularly
to women because of their disadvantaged status. Understanding how such
processes can simultaneously create barriers to service access and
facilitate inappropriate treatment is essential to ensuring quality mental
health services. Ameliorating the problems of women as providers and
consumers in the mental health delivery system will require a sophisticated
understanding of the nature of those problems and a firm commitment to
creative solutions. The ethical mandate to address the institutional
structures of inequality extends to all persons who are part of the mental
health delivery system.
