Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Adult Women

Depth of understanding and efficacy of treatment of mental health disorders have undergone significant evolution and improvement over the past several decades. With increased attention from clinicians, and by extension, patients and society as a whole, it is imperative to establish the impacts of mental health disorders among populations. This effort is essential to both identifying pathology and providing effective treatment to groups who may demonstrate a need for intervention in a variety of ways. It has been acknowledged that adult women experience a higher disease burden relative to their male counterparts; thus, special effort is needed to identify causative factors for this difference, and to adjust approaches to care when possible. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to both an exacerbation of this disparity and an increase in the prevalence of mental health disorders in general. It has subsequently heightened the urgency with which both clinicians and public health movements must address the growing need for targeted measures and a deeper understanding of the epidemiological differences in mental health experienced by women.