Understanding mental health challenges for women and girls in the UK

Women in contact with the criminal justice system have disproportionately high rates of poor mental health, with 76% of women in prison reporting having a mental health problem. They need specialist support, interventions and access to specialist mental healthcare to support their recovery.

Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being and influences the way women think, feel, perceive and behave. The impact of imprisonment can cause and exacerbate mental ill-health, and many other factors can contribute to a woman’s poor mental health including poverty, unemployment, domestic and sexual violence, ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) discrimination, stress, social exclusion, substance dependencies and physical ill-health.

There are many different types of mental health conditions commonly experienced by women and girls, including:

• Depression involves prolonged feelings of low mood which can affect everyday life and, in some cases, lead to self-harm or suicide.
• Anxiety can involve intense and prolonged feelings of worry or fear which can be overwhelming and lead to sleeplessness, panic attacks and high blood pressure. Women experiencing anxiety may get easily stressed about everyday life or things which are unlikely to happen.
• Personality disorders that can lead to women thinking, feeling or behaving differently from most people, causing distress or problems functioning.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by traumatic events. PTSD may develop months or years later, often relived through vivid flashbacks and nightmares, and accompanied by physical sensations such as pain, sweating, nausea and trembling.
• Eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating affect women more than men and are often expressions of pain and difficulties in life.
• Bipolar disorder is a condition involving extreme and overwhelming mood swings – from feeling low and lethargic to feeling high and overactive. These changes are distressing and can have a severe impact on daily life.
• Schizophrenia causes hallucinations, delusions and disorganised thinking. It may also lead to people being disconnected from their emotional state.

Women and girls may also be suffering from undiagnosed poor mental health and may be triggered or affected by poor mental health at different stages of their lives. Finding the right support is crucial for their well-being and recovery.

From counselling and therapy to support groups and crisis intervention, mental health support for women and girls can be targeted and tailored to address their individual circumstances and person situations.