Throughout history, women have juggled countless responsibilities but have been continuously undervalued and unappreciated. Women continue to endure endless stressors related to inequalities at home and in the workplace, social pressures, and socioeconomic factors.
Women are constantly being told or sold the idea that various material products will inch them closer to well-ness. Products such as creams, candles, mattresses, or other “self-care” items are marketed to women as well-ness tools.
While some products can be helpful, the message often is focused on fixing women; if you have this cream, your skin will look better; if you buy this bed, you will sleep better then life will improve.
The message is that your sleep, skin, and happiness could improve if only you put more time and money into making it better, aka it’s your responsibility and that you haven’t been doing your job.
However, wellness is not an object or product, but an internal state and one that has been inequitably tended to.
Despite self-reporting a need for mental health care, women are not receiving professional care. In a 2022 KFF Women’s Health Survey (WHS), women 18-64 reported needing mental health care. However, only 50% of those reported needing care acquired mental health care, 10% tried and failed, and 40% didn’t seek it out.
Women avoid or delay seeking help for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
kids surveyed wished their parents cared more about their emotional well-being
of kids surveyed believe they would benefit from counseling or other types of support, but cited parents’ attitudes as main barriers to getting help
of women feel burned out
Women who experience socioeconomic stressors face additional high levels of anxiety and depression and the pandemic exacerbated those issues. “A study at the University of Chicago Medicine found U.S. women experienced an increased incidence of health-related socioeconomic risks (HRSRs), such as food insecurity and interpersonal violence, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. This was associated with “alarmingly high rates” of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety.”
Women of all diversities experience additional emotional stressors, including racism, injustices, discrimination at work, and frequent microaggressions, which can contribute to depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, and other mental health issues. The lack of accessible treatment that is culturally sensitive and the stigma women face for receiving mental healthcare keep women from obtaining professional help.
As if the societal stigma surrounding mental illness and the difficulty of finding the right treatment weren’t enough of a barrier, Black women face additional challenges to getting support.
Learn more about our innovated care reaching people around the world and explore the exciting new tool, Quest Depot, that is changing the way people experience mental healthcare.
