User talk:Jencsp/Mental disorders and gender

Hello, we are mgj41 and jencsp. We reviewed this article for a WikiEdu project for a class called Medicine, Race, and Gender where we explored the disparities in the medical field in regards to racial and gender-based issues.

What can be changed:

We completed a thorough analysis of the article--with the goal of applying an intersectional lens. We compiled a list of suggestions that would help not only refine the topic but also promote sensitivity/awareness. We believe it is crucial to advocate for marginalized identities, especially in the field of medicine. First, we thought it was necessary to add a description or definition for gender so that the reader could contextualize the information presented in the piece. We also thought it was important to comment on Sigmund Freud’s background, especially his beliefs on traditional patriarchy and evolutionary values. The article does not mention how Freud protected and insisted on women's biological differences, roles, norms, and submissiveness/relegation to the private sphere, which would be key to understanding how “feminized” mental disorders and gender are. We would restructure the section “Biological Differences" to emphasize that these are hypothetical. Ideally, the article would address the causes of gender-specific risk factors early on so that the reader could approach the information with a critical lens. Once these risk factors were established, then it could be useful to mention socioeconomic disadvantages and explain how gender wage gaps or labor participation gaps were perpetuated by the state and by patriarchal society. This context would later highlight how and why women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and other mental disorders. Though, there should be some comments and analysis on the influence of socialization and environmental factors on these mental illnesses. Finally, the article needs to elaborate on LGBTQ+ POC and how all mental illnesses and care are complicated according to the minority stress model. The article fails to address disability at any point when mentioning women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities, which is alarming given that disability impacts these other identities.

Why changes are necessary:

These changes are extremely important in ensuring maximum reception of the article. As this article is long and straightforward, this can complicate the process of dealing with such sensitive issues. It is important to highlight these issues and discussion on gender to clarify the connection between the two. These changes will add to the modernity and accessibility of the article. In addition, looking at the article from a more intersectional approach will get readers to question why healthcare was shaped the way it is and why so much of its influence comes from the “normals”. This will in turn help push readers to see mental health trends as a systematic failure rather than a fault of the individual.

Additional sources:

Cyrus, K. (2017). Multiple minorities as multiply marginalized: Applying the minority stress theory to LGBTQ people of color. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 21(3), 194-202.

Kuehner, C. (2017). Why is depression more common among women than among men?. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(2), 146-158.

McLean, C. P., & Anderson, E. R. (2009). Brave men and timid women? A review of the gender differences in fear and anxiety. Clinical psychology review, 29(6), 496-505.

Gonzales, M. C., Jain-Chandra, M. S., Kochhar, M. K., Newiak, M. M., & Zeinullayev, M. T. (2015). Catalyst for change: empowering women and tackling income inequality. International Monetary Fund.

Schafer, R. (2019). Problems in Freud’s Psychology of Women. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association, 67(3), 503-526.

Tyler, Nichola and Miles, Helen and Karadag, Bessey and Rogers, Gemma (2019) An updated picture of the mental health needs of male and female prisoners in the UK: prevalence, comorbidity, and gender differences. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. ISSN 0933-7954.

WHO 2020 Report - https://www.who.int/mental_health/media/en/242.pdf

Yu S. (2018). Uncovering the hidden impacts of inequality on mental health: a global study. Translational psychiatry, 8(1), 98. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-018-0148-0