Themes in the Experience of Gender Among Women With Serious Mental Health Illnesses

Abstract

The focus of this article is on women with mental health illness and themes pertaining to issues of gender in their mental health experiences and in their treatment by peers and family. Grounded theory methodology was utilized in the data analysis of semi-structured interviews with 20 women with mental health illness. Findings revealed several themes related to gender in the experiences of women with mental health illness. These themes include male leverage, gendered emotions, weight worries, caretaker demands, friendship barriers, higher expectations, and double standard of violence. Implications for rehabilitation counseling will be discussed.