The contradictions of gender: women, men and violence in mental health research-policy, law and human rights

Since the 1960s significant differences in the mental health profile of men and women have been observed, but not adequately explained. The accepted pattern is that women are more likely to be diagnosed with high prevalence disorders and men are more likely to be diagnosed with serious low prevalence disorders. Clinical research has pursued physiological or psychosocial explanations for women's mental health problems, while feminist perspectives have emphasised the pathologisation of women's experiences. Recent research has refocused attention on the distinct mental health needs of women and men related to the experience of violence. The emphasis on violence in new mental health research, however, is matched by a curious silence in mental health law and policy with respect to the mental health impact of violence. This article recognises the need for a robust response to the experience of violence for both men and women. With respect to the experience of women, it calls for the adoption of a women centred, trauma informed approach to the development of law, policy and service provision in mental health. Such approaches should engage with the emerging recognition of intersectionality in the research literature, the aspirations of the consumer movement and human rights frameworks.