Throughout their lifespans, women are faced with distinct challenges and circumstances that can manifest into mental health issues unique to women, adding to the complexity of care and treatment required.
Despite this known and data-driven reality, most mental health research and subsequent treatments are based on, and depend on, the physiology and experiences of men.
It is no surprise then, that there is a staggering discrepancy between sex and gender outcomes:
At Women’s College Hospital, we have always seen things differently. And when you see things differently, you do things differently. WCH runs a variety of programs that use data based on women and women’s needs. Examples include: the General Psychiatry Program, which provides embedded treatment in the Centre for Headache and the Toronto Academic Pain Initiative; the Reproductive Life Stages Program, which looks at sex, gender and age; and the Trauma Therapy Program, a specialized trauma-focused therapy program for individuals with a history of childhood trauma, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
Today, thanks to support from donors like you, WCH is advancing research and breaking down barriers to care with innovative, multidisciplinary programs that explore the unique biological and social factors shaping women’s mental health.