Women, mental health, and the psychiatric enterprise: A review

This article raises questions about how social workers can be more responsive to the needs and wants of women who struggle with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Specifically, the article examines the history and theoretical context of mental health services for women, reviews lessons learned from women's own descriptions of their lived experiences with mental illness, and summarizes needed responses to the treatment needs of women. Recommendations are offered in areas of the general structure of the service delivery system, psychosocial and psychotherapeutic interventions, and psychopharmacology.