Women experience specific emotional and psychological situations at various phases of life, including adolescence, motherhood, menopause, and later stages. Women have a higher tendency for mental health issues due to hormonal changes, social expectations, violence related to gender, and duties and caring for people.
Mental health experts argue that women stand a better chance of being depressed and anxious than men, almost twice as much. Stigma and the inability to access treatment, as well as the fear of judgment, may prevent the detection and treatment of such conditions. This is one reason why the access, or exposure, of women mental health services is now more important than ever.
Though motherhood is typically viewed as a happy adventure, it causes immense emotional conflict in many women. The postpartum period, pregnancy, and delivery are the triggers of mood disorders, and they can lead to postpartum depression, anxiety, and even psychosis, rarely.
Maternal mental health services are created to take care of women during these vulnerable periods. Such services can comprise:
Where mothers get the required mental health care, they become better placed to take care of themselves and their children. Healthy mothers equal healthier families and communities.
Numerous philanthropic and community-oriented organisations in Canada strive to enhance mental health in the country. Charity organizations in Canada have come on board to provide special support services to women and mothers. These include:
Some of these organizations can be run on donations and volunteers, so they are able to reach those who might fail to access help. It is not merely about treatment but about prevention and education, and thus, more women can feel educated about their mental well-being and take care of it until it reaches a critical phase.
Early support for women mental health may prove to be the difference in recovery. Mental health issues usually start with minor symptoms, such as fatigue, loss of interest in a hobby, mood change, or insomnia. When not healed, these symptoms can develop into severe conditions, which also affect her as a woman, her relationships, her children, and her job.
Investments in maternal mental health services allow communities to identify these problems at an early stage. Prevention-orientated services, avoiding long-term complications, e.g., by routine checking of mental health during and after pregnancy, can reduce the risks of long-term complications considerably.
Stigma is one of the greatest hindrances to the use of mental health support. Most women do not dare to discuss their emotional problems simply because they are supposed to be strong women or caring mothers.
Charity organizations in Canada are making this situation change. They are destigmatizing mental health discourse through consciousness-raising activities, networking via social media, and events. Such initiatives make the women feel better about not being alone and empower them to go out and seek some assistance.
Mental health programs that are community-based are usually more effective since they are developed around the experiences and needs of real life. In local communities, support groups, workshops, and drop-in centers allow women to meet in a secure space to share their experiences, stories, and heal collectively.
Others additionally offer new mothers trained peer mentors – women who have experienced the same and now mentor them. This interpersonal connectivity may prove to be more relaxing than standard clinical treatment, particularly in women of underrepresented groups.
However, policy change is also needed besides direct services. The advocates are demanding the development of improved funding and protections of maternal mental health at work, as well as school-based mental health education.
Through the creation of laws and policies, mental health advocates are striving to create a future in which all women within Canada will have access to the care that they require, regardless of their background, income level, or geographical region.
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the mental health challenges among people of all ages, particularly women. Stress brought stress on already strained lives, with things like lockdowns, lost jobs, homeschooling, and caregiving.
As a reaction to it, numerous Canadian charity organizations rapidly shifted towards virtual assistance, online counselling, and 24-hour crisis hotlines. This flexibility was lifesaving, and the necessity of an efficient, consistent investment in maternal mental health care and women mental health initiatives was made quite clear.
To make a difference, you do not have to be a therapist or a health professional. These are easy steps you can use to promote the mental health of women in your neighbourhood:
You can cause waves of hope with whatever you do, no matter how little.