Media
Gender bias is hurting women’s mental health, author argues
CBC The Current, May 6, 2024Radio/Podcast
Statistics show women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with a mood disorder. In her new book, All In Her Head, Misty Pratt explores the gender gap in mental health and argues the system is failing women.
Not Broken
Quill and Quire, May 9, 2024Online
Misty Pratt’s own experiences inspired her book on women and the mental health–care system
New app uses AI to monitor for early signs of mental-health issues in youth
The Globe and MailOnline
URL: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ai-app-mental-health/
Children's camps cancelled or restricted by COVID-19 could mean a bleak summer for kids, parents
All In Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women's Mental Health
by Misty Pratt
Greystone Books
May 7, 2024
9781771649711
This provocative, deeply personal book explores how women experience mental health care differently than men—and lays out how the system must change for women to flourish.
Why are so many women feeling anxious, stressed out, and depressed, and why are they not getting the help they need? Over the past decade, mood disorders have skyrocketed among women, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed as men. Yet in a healthcare system steeped in gender bias, women’s complaints are often dismissed, their normal emotions are pathologized, and treatments routinely fail to address the root causes of their distress. Women living at the crossroads of racial, economic, and other identities face additional barriers. How can we pinpoint what’s wrong with women’s mental health, and what needs to change?
In All in Her Head, science writer Misty Pratt embarks on a crucial investigation, painting a picture of a system that is failing women on multiple levels. Pratt, who shares her own history of mental illness, explores the stereotypes that have shaped how we understand and treat women’s distress, from the Ancient Greek concept of “hysteria” to today’s self-help solutions. Weaving together science and women’s personal stories, All in Her Head debunks mental health myths and challenges misconceptions, addressing the following questions:
- When did normal emotions become symptoms of a disorder?
- What are specific risk factors for common mental disorders that disproportionately affect women?
- How did “burnout” become a women’s disease?
- What can we do to make peace with our moods and embrace the gifts of our emotions?
Pratt also tackles the thorny topic of medication, taking a nuanced and evidence-based approach. Women who present at their doctor’s office with depression, anxiety, or stress are often prescribed antidepressants as a first-line treatment: at least one in four American women are now taking these medications. Antidepressants have a real effect that can be helpful for some individuals; however, Pratt persuasively argues that our current approach ignores the underlying causes of most women’s depressive symptoms.
Today, a rising movement of women is demanding better when it comes to mental health treatment. Armed with the latest science, insight from those who have been through the therapeutic system, and enough humor to lighten the load, All in Her Head provides women with hope and courage to reframe and reclaim their mental health.
Biography
Misty Pratt is a science communicator and author of the book All In Her Head: How Gender Bias Harms Women's Mental Health. With over a decade of experience working in the field of biomedical research, Pratt unpacks how personal and systemic biases have shaped our scientific understanding of disease and wellness. In her day job, Pratt liaises with media to spotlight groundbreaking research coming out of ICES, an independent research institute that leads cutting-edge studies evaluating healthcare delivery and outcomes. Pratt has written for publications including Broadview, Mindful.org, and Today's Parent, and is an advocate for better mental health care. She lives in Ottawa with her family and her mischievous pug, Winnie. All In Her Head is her first book.