A reader has been dismayed to find discussions of women and depression in medical circles is increasingly about the biochemical factors. “It’s the hormones, you know…” Can you suggest some good work discussion factors such as political situations, etc?
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It’s a sad state of affairs when you need research to show that oppressed and powerless people tend to get depressed more than those on top.
Here are a few suggestions on gender in psychiatry that may help, (though not on depression specifically)
Chapter 4 of Jennifer Radden and John Sadler’s Virtuous Psychiatrist (2010), entitled “Elements of a gender-sensitive ethics for psychiatry.”
Chapter 6 of John Sadler’s Values and Psychiatric Diagnosis (2005), entitled “Sex and gender.”
Nancy Potter’s “Gender” in Jennifer Radden (ed)’s Philosophy of Psychiatry (2004).
Jennifer Radden’s “Relational individualism and feminist therapy”. Hypatia
Volume 11, Issue 3, pages 71–96, August 1996.
Serife
I can’t quite tell from the question whether the reader is interested in depression alone, or also PMS, which involves hormonal explanations. So below I have included both.
Susan Sherwin’s “No longer Patient” talks about problems with ascriptions of illness in chapter 9. Much of this discussion seems relevant.
Susan Faludi’s “Backlash” chapter 12 discusses the effect of the backlash on women’s minds (or how they are diagnosed and interpreted).
Carol Tavris’ book “The Mismeasure of Woman” Includes a discussion of women’s minds in Chapters 1 and 5.
Iris Marion Young’s chapter on Menstruation in “On Female Body Experience” might be relevant, especially section 3 on “Moody Times.”
Well, whenever I analyze my life through a feminist lense, i feel overwhelmed by the marginalized political position I am in- sole parent, un-educated and without any prospects for making a better life in this society, and I am depressed by the statistics of me getting into an abusive relationship (remedy:stay alone!), and of the impossible odds of me and my child clawing our way o ut of poverty.
So, women and depression – just take a women’s study course at your local community college, and you’ll get there!
There’s one political situation…
See also Dana Jack, Silencing the Self, and Jack’s anthology of last year, Silencing the Self Across Cultures, as well as Deborah Cox, Women’s Anger. These are imperfect but still rich fonts of information as to the ways in which responses to (and treatments of) dispositions or disorders then perpetuate other dispositions or disorders.