Women's mental health

Well over a decade has passed since an issue of the Psychiatric Clinics of North America was devoted to women's mental health. The field has grown and developed during those years, as women's health has assumed a position of increasing importance in our national health agenda. There are currently women's health offices in the US Department of Health and Human Services, at the National Institutes of Health, and at the US Food and Drug Administration. These agencies have been addressing the need for inclusion of women and for investigation of gender differences in research studies. The changes resulting from these new guidelines are contributing to a growing knowledge base concerning the etiology, presentation, and treatment of disorders in women.

This issue highlights some of the recent advances in the field of women's mental health. The first three articles focus on reproductive mood disorders. Lori Ross and Meir Steiner present a biopsychosocial approach to premenstrual dysphoric disorder. An overview of depression during pregnancy is provided by Ruta Nonacs and Lee Cohen. Hadine Joffe, Claudio Soares, and Lee Cohen describe the assessment and treatment of hot flushes and menopausal mood disturbance.

The next group of articles describes the assessment and treatment of various psychiatric disorders in women, with an emphasis on gender differences in prevalence, clinical presentation, and treatment response. Diane Sloan and Susan Kornstein review gender differences in depression, while Leslie Arnold examines effects of gender in bipolar disorder. The topic of anxiety disorders in women is covered by Teresa Pigott, and Anita Clayton shares her expertise regarding female sexual dysfunction.

Several articles focus on psychiatric aspects of general medical issues in women's health. Russell Joffe, Jennifer Brasch, and Glenda MacQueen present an overview of endocrine disorders. Cardiovascular disease in women is reviewed by Sherri Hansen. Elisabeth Kunkel and Emmie Chen summarize psychosocial aspects of breast cancer, and Julia Warnock and Anita Clayton discuss chronic episodic disorders affecting women.

Psychosocial issues for women are also addressed. Diane Shrier explores work, family, and life cycle issues in women's adult lives, and Bethany Brand covers the topic of trauma and women. Finally, Mary Blehar examines the public health context of research in women's mental health.

We hope that the reader finds the contents of this issue useful for the evaluation and treatment of women patients. We also want to draw attention to the newly established International Association for Women's Mental Health and the upcoming 2nd World Congress on Women's Mental Health in Washington, DC, in March, 2004, where the full spectrum of mental health issues in women will be presented. It remains important for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers to join together to share knowledge and efforts to further advance this developing field.