Open Access News Women's Health Women’s mental health: Navigating biological factors, workplace challenges, and policy gaps October 4, 2024 image: ©SolStock | iStock Fiona Wylie examines the disparities between men’s and women’s mental health and emphasises the necessity of recognising these gender variations in the workplace and policy-making when establishing initiatives to support mental wellbeing Mental health affects everyone, but women experience it differently from men due to a combination of biological, societal, and workplace factors. Hormonal shifts, alongside the pressures of balancing careers and caregiving, shape how women manage their mental wellbeing throughout their lives. Key life stages, such as menopause, are often overlooked despite their significant impact on women’s mental health.
How women’s mental health differs from men’s While both men and women face mental health challenges, their responses to work demands, such as workload and time pressures, tend to differ. Research indicates that women are more likely to experience conditions like depression, anxiety, and PTSD, often linked to hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. Men tend to externalise emotional struggles, which can lead to behaviours like substance abuse or aggression.
In contrast, women are more likely to internalise stress, contributing to the higher prevalence of mood disorders. In a Weston et al. (2019) study, no significant difference was found .