This provocative, deeply personal book explores how women experience mental health care differently than menand lays out how the system must change for women to flourish.
Why are so many women feeling anxious, stressed out, and depressed, and why are they not getting the help they need? Over the past decade, mood disorders have skyrocketed among women, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed as men. Yet in a healthcare system steeped in gender bias, womens complaints are often dismissed, their normal emotions are pathologized, and treatments routinely fail to address the root causes of their distress. Women living at the crossroads of racial, economic, and other identities face additional barriers. How can we pinpoint whats wrong with womens mental health, and what needs to change?
In All in Her Head, science writer Misty Pratt embarks on a crucial investigation, painting a picture of a system that is failing women on multiple levels. Pratt, who shares her own history of mental illness, explores the stereotypes that have shaped how we understand and treat womens distress, from the Ancient Greek concept of hysteria to todays self-help solutions. Weaving together science and womens personal stories, All in Her Head debunks mental health myths and challenges misconceptions, addressing the following questions: