Affiliation:
1. Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, University of Barcelona (UB), CIBERSAM, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5P 3L6, Canada
3. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona (UB), IDIBAPS, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
4. Institut de Neurociències, UAB, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
Abstract
Women with schizophrenia require health interventions that differ, in many ways, from those of men. The aim of this paper is to review male and female care needs and describe a newly established care unit for the treatment of women with schizophrenia. After reviewing the literature on the differentiated needs of men and women with schizophrenia, we describe the new unit’s assessment, intervention, and evaluation measures. The program consists of (1) individual/group patient/family therapy, (2) therapeutic drug monitoring and adherence checks, (3) perinatal mental health, (4) medical liaison, (5) suicide prevention/intervention, (6) social services with special focus on parenting, domestic abuse, and sexual exploitation, (7) home-based services, (8) peer support, (9) occupational therapies (physical activity and leisure programs), and (10) psychoeducation for both patients and families. Still in the planning stage are quality evaluation of diagnostic assessment, personalized care, drug optimization, health screening (reproductive health, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular health, cancer, menopausal status), and patient and family satisfaction with services provided. Woman-specific care represents an important resource that promises to deliver state-of-the-art treatment to women and, ideally, prevent mental illness in their offspring.