Despite being a common term in today's society, mental illness is still underdiagnosed by doctors. It is predicted that fewer than half of individuals who meet diagnostic criteria for psychological conditions are actually accurately diagnosed by physicians. The reason for this statistic is first and foremost a misdiagnosis by the doctor and also a lack of motivation to ask for help. The World Health Organization estimates that only 2 in 5 people who have symptoms of a psychological disorder will actually seek help within the first year of the onset of the problem. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It would be surprising to many to know that when comparing overall rates of mental illness, the comparison between men and women is very similar. Differences are found in the patterns of mental illness experienced by men compared to the same experiences experienced by women (Bower, 2017). This article will aim to inform readers about why gender has such a large impact on mental illness and what experiences those suffering from mental illness are willing to get involved in. We'll explore why different genders are more likely to be diagnosed with certain conditions. . We will also explore the impact that specific conditions have on a person's likelihood of seeking help due to their identified gender. There are gender differences in help-seeking patterns for all psychological disorders. Considering the type of use of outpatient mental health services, men were more likely to consult a primary care physician and a mental health specialist in the past year than women. However, compared to males, females were more likely to only consult a primary care physician rather than not consulting one at all. Gender-specific differences that make men less likely to seek services include lower adjusted family income and, for women, younger age, the presence of social support, self-reported availability barriers, the presence of or suicide attempts and poor self-awareness. perceived mental health. The gender with which an individual identifies is a key determinant of the amount of awareness and support an individual with a mental illness will receive. The negative connotations that are perceived with having a mental illness in general are substantially more targeted and publicized than the gender-specific determinations and mechanisms that are said to promote and protect mental health and create it. An individual's gender determines the perceived power and control that men and women have over their condition. Socioeconomic situations, position on the social ladder, status in the community, access to care and exposure to risk factors are all elements that women and men face at different rates based on gender (World Health, 2014). Gender stereotypes regarding susceptibility to emotional problems in women and alcohol problems in men appear to reinforce social stigma and limit help-seeking along stereotypical lines. They constitute a barrier to accurate identification and treatment of psychological disorder. Despite these differences, unfortunately the majority of women and men who suffer from emotional distress and/or psychological disorder are neither identified nor treated by their doctor. Let's look at the statistics regarding mental illness as a whole. In today's society, people as a whole suffer from at least one episode of depression or anxiety at some point in their lives. Abnormal is the new normal since only onesmall percentage of the world's population between the ages of 11 and 38 is considered mentally healthy. John Schafer, a psychologist at Duke University, says: “For many, an episode of mental disorder is like the flu, bronchitis, kidney stones, a broken bone, or other (common) condition, … Sufferers experience a functioning compromise. Many seek medical attention, but most recover.' Depressive disorders account for nearly 41.9% of disability due to neuropsychiatric disorders among women compared to 29.3% among men (World Health, 2014). The main mental health problems of the elderly are depression, organic brain syndromes and dementias, in which the majority are women. An estimated 80% of the 50 million people affected by violent conflict, civil war, disasters and displacement are women and children, which is a precursor to the development of mental illness. The lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women varies from 16% to 50% depending on numerous contributing factors, and at least 1 in 5 women experiences rape or attempted rape in her lifetime (World Health, 2014 ). Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sexual violence, domestic violence and increasing rates of substance use affect women to a greater extent than men in different countries and contexts. The pressures created by their multiple roles, gender discrimination and the associated factors of poverty, hunger, malnutrition, overwork, domestic violence and sexual abuse, combine to explain women's poor mental health (World Health, 2014). There is a positive relationship between the frequency and severity of these social factors and the frequency and severity of mental health problems in women. Serious life events that cause a sense of loss, inferiority, humiliation can foreshadow depression, which we know is one of the most diagnosed conditions for women. Many times, I believe we in America forget that there are others in other countries who are experiencing these same difficulties, mainly due to our Westernized point of view. It has been recorded that approximately 20% of those attending primary healthcare in developing countries suffer from anxiety or depressive disorders. In most centers these patients are not recognized and therefore not treated. Communication between healthcare providers and female patients is extremely authoritarian in many countries, making disclosure of psychological and emotional distress by a woman difficult and often stigmatized. When women dare to reveal their problems, many healthcare providers tend to have gender biases that lead them to misdiagnose or treat them. Depression as a whole is a common mental health problem among women, but it is believed to have a greater impact in women as well. When the word depression is uttered, the image that a person collects in their head is likely to be that of a woman. This brain-generated pattern is the result of the media's overrepresentation of depressed women. This over-representation of depression as a woman has done two things in the eyes of the population. First, women are immediately diagnosed when they experience what appear to be symptoms of depression, without much understanding of the real problem, and men don't seek help when they feel depressed. they are believed to suffer from depression, in an attempt to avoid being seen as less virile. Reducing this overrepresentation of women will contribute significantly to the improvement of society, but first we must first understand the factors that contribute to gender stereotypes in mental illnesses and howovercome these obstacles if we want to see permanent change for the better. Life after being diagnosed with a mental illness is often difficult and shameful due to the social stigma attached to the illness. For starters, mentally ill women are often sexually exploited. Due to contributing factors, many women are unable to receive access to adequate care and treatment for their mental illness. The lack of resources and the stigma that affects those who need help leave women with very few options. Homelessness and mental illness go hand in hand as both situations contribute to the onset of the other. In the vast majority of reported cases, women with mental illnesses are found to be sexually exploited in exchange for access to their basic needs. Several studies indicate that pathways to homelessness differ by gender. For example, homeless women are more likely to experience violence than men and are more likely to report family disorder or dysfunction, while men are more likely to report job loss, mental illness, and substance use problems as precursors to homelessness. Clark's 2003 article highlighted that homeless populations are diverse in terms of ethnicity, gender and the pathways to homelessness along with mental illness are diverse and difficult to map transparently. Of course, not everyone who suffers from a mental illness will be led down a path of violence or homelessness, but even people who have adequate access to treatment and who actively attempt to combat their condition still have difficulties in everyday life. I'm sure everyone at least knows someone who struggles to find a significant other or who has difficulty maintaining a healthy relationship with their significant other, many of whom are living with mental illness. Not surprisingly, having a mental illness has been reported to reduce the chances of marriage for both men and women due to multiple factors. The main factors contributing to this perceived dangerousness of individuals with a mental illness, the stigma of mental health and the long…term nature of the illness in relation to those who do not suffer from mental illness (Hailemariam, 2019). It's no secret that people suffering from mental illness generally have smaller social circles, which often don't extend beyond family and close friendships. Stigma was mentioned as the main limiting factor for the social interaction of individuals with a mental illness. The following comment was provided about friendships with those suffering from mental illness (Clark, 2003): “People in the community don't make friends with them (people with mental illness). They are usually alone. No one wants to be with them. people are afraid to marry them. They will face problems until they recover and become healthy.' Another participant expressed his opinion on marriage for people with mental illnesses: “There are many things people want to know before allowing the marriage, even for couples without mental illnesses. Society wants to know who he or she is, his or her ethnic group, who his or her parents are. It is a very big challenge for a mentally ill person to get married in this society. “On a more positive note, there are some cases where you can see public support for people with mental illnesses. In most cases, when women with mental illnesses find themselves in legal trouble, help can be provided based on their condition. Based on the principles of therapeutic justice, mental health courts use legal leverage to, 18(3), 341-358.