The physical healthcare experiences of women with mental health problems: Status versus stigma

Abstract

Background: Recent policy and review documents suggest that women have physical health needs, including those specifically related to their life-cycle, which are inadequately met.Aims: This study looked at the physical healthcare needs of women with mental health problems.Method: Using the qualitative method of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), six women were interviewed about their experiences of physical and mental healthcare.Results: The womens' interview data showed that experiences of physical healthcare could be categorized under the themes of being in control, desirable outcome, and emotional nurture, and experiences of mental healthcare under the themes of powerlessness, objectification, lack of knowledge, and feelings of inadequacy and guilt.Conclusion: Women were relatively happy with the way their physical illnesses had been cared for, and in comparison to their experiences of mental healthcare, the treatment for physical illness helped them to feel better about themselves. However those areas of physical healthcare associated with womens' life cycle issues were experienced as negative and stigmatizing, which may have been due to the interactive effect of stigmatizing mental health problems.Declaration of Interest: None.