• Women are more likely than men to experience a mental disorder in their lifetime.

• 36% of Ontario women have experienced a mental disorder, versus 22% of men.

  Depression

• After the onset of puberty, a woman's risk of developing depression increases to twice that of men.

• 10-15% of women will have a major depressive disorder at least once during their lifetime.

• Approximately 10% of women in the general population will experience depression during pregnancy.

  Post-Partum Depression

• The most vulnerable time for a woman to develop a mood disorder is within the first twelve months following the birth of her baby, particularly if she has a mental illness prior to her pregnancy.

• 30% of women with a history of depression will develop post-partum depression, and 50% with a history of post-partum depression will develop it again in a subsequent pregnancy.

• Post-partum psychosis is characterized by manic and psychotic symptoms, usually within 48-72 hours after delivery. A high risk of infanticide and suicide necessitates immediate treatment.

• Women with bipolar disorder have a 50% chance of developing post-partum psychosis.

  Bipolar Disorder

• 3% of women have bipolar disorder (men and women have bipolar disorder at equal rates).

  Schizophrenia

• 1% of women have schizophrenia (men and women have schizophrenia at equal rates).

• Women usually develop schizophrenia later than men do, and have a second onset peak after the age of forty-four.

  Eating Disorders (ED)

• 3% of girls/women have an ED in their lifetime.

• 90% of those with ED's are girls/women.

  Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

• People with BPD feel extremes of anger, depression and emptiness and are at high risk of suicide. Research indicates a connection between childhood sexual and/or emotional abuse, and BPD.

• 2% of the general population has BPD, but 75% of those with BPD are girls/women.

  Abuse in Childhood, Mental Illness & the Correctional System

• There is a high correlation between childhood abuse (especially sexual abuse) and mental illness. The results of a 1989 mental health survey indicate this connection is partucularly widespread among incarcerated women.

• Major psychiatric diagnoses are more prevalent among incarcerated women than men.

• Federally incarcerated women are more likely to be depressed, self-abusive and suicidal compared to incarcerated men.

• 68% of federally incarcerated women reported childhood physical abuse; 54% reported sexual abuse. Among aboriginal women, 90% reported physical and 61% sexual abuse.

  Homelessness

• Deinstitutionalization and decreases in welfare levels have greatly increased the risk of people with severe and chronic mental illness, particularly women, becoming homeless.

• 75% of Toronto's single homeless women have a mental illness, versus 30-35% of men.

• 49% are victims of childhood sexual abuse. 51% are victims of childhood physical abuse.

  Suicide

• There is a significant correlation between a history of sexual abuse and the lifetime number of suicide attempts. This correlation is twice as strong for women as for men.

• Women make 3-4 times more suicide attempts than men.

  Other Things to Understand

• The majority of people who are violent do not suffer from mental illnesses. In fact, people with a mental illness are more likely to be victims, rather than the perpetrators of violence.

• The social stigma (defined as a mark or sign of disgrace) experienced by people with a mental illness can be more destructive than the illness itself.

• There are many opinions about the causes of mental illness but few proven facts. Possible causes are: difficult family background; suppression of feelings; stressful life event; biochemistry; genes.

• Gender discrimination and associated factors of racism, poverty, hunger, malnutrition, overwork and sexual and domestic violence perpetuated against women contribute to the high prevalence of mental issues experienced by women.

Source: various, provided by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Community Support and Research Unit, Toronto, Ontario.