A Public Health Perspective of Women's Mental Health / Edition 1

by Bruce Lubotsky Levin, Marion Ann Becker

Overview

A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health

Edited by Bruce Lubotsky Levin and Marion Ann Becker

As many as one-half of all women in the U.S. will experience some form of mental illness in their lives—an especially distressing fact when health care budgets are in flux, adding to existing disparities and unmet health needs.

Written from a unique multidisciplinary framework, A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health addresses today’s most pressing mental health challenges: effective treatment, efficient prevention, equal access, improved service delivery, and stronger public policy. Eminent clinicians, researchers, academicians, and advocates examine the effects of mental illness on women’s lives and discuss the scope of clinical and service delivery issues affecting women, focusing on these major areas:

• Epidemiology of mental disorders in girls, female adolescents, adult women, and older women.

• Selected disorders of particular concern to women, including depression and postpartum depression, eating disorders, menopause, chemical dependence, and HIV/AIDS.

• Mental health needs of women in the workplace, rural areas, and prisons.

• Racial and ethnic disparities and their impact on service delivery.

• Parenting and recovery issues in mothers with mental illness.

• Women’s mental health services in an era of evidence-based medicine.

• Improving women’s health in today’s technological climate.

A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health is a resource of immediate importance to professionals and graduate students in the public health, health administration, health disparities, social work, behavioral health, and health services research fields, as well as nursing, community/health psychology and community/public psychiatry.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441915252
Publisher:	Springer New York
Publication date:	03/19/2010
Edition description:	2010
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Bruce Lubotsky Levin, DrPH, MPH

Bruce Lubotsky Levin is Associate Professor and Head of the Graduate Studies in Behavioral Health Program at the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute & at the College of Public Health (COPH), both at the University of South Florida (USF). Dr. Levin is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research and Director of the USF Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Planning, Evaluation, & Accountability Program. He is the Senior Editor of Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, Third Edition (Oxford University Press, 2010); Introduction to Public Health for Pharmacists (Jones & Bartlett, 2007); Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, Second Edition (Oxford University Press, 2004); Women’s Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective (Sage Publications, 1998); and Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective (Oxford University Press, 1996). He is also Co-Editor of the text Building a Virtual Library (Information Science Publishing, 2003). In 2001, Dr. Levin received the Harold C. Piepenbrink Award for outstanding contributions to behavioral health services from the Association of Behavioral Healthcare Management. Dr. Levin earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his graduate degrees from The University of Texas. His research interests include managed behavioral health care, mental health policy, graduate behavioral health education, and mental health informatics. He currently teaches graduate behavioral health courses at the USF COPH.

Marion Ann Becker, PhD, MA, RN

Marion Becker is a Professor in the Department of Aging and Mental Health Disparities at the University of South Florida (USF) Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute. She also holds appointments in the USF School of Social Work, USF College of Public Health, and USF College of Nursing, where she teaches a number of graduate level courses, including the epidemiology of mental disorders, women’s mental health, and case management. Dr. Becker is a psychiatric nurse with a doctorate in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on the problems of providing high quality, cost-effective behavioral health services and quality of life outcomes for vulnerable populations. Dr. Becker is the developer of the Wisconsin Quality of Life Index (W-QLI), a core development in quality of life outcomes research in mental health. In 1997, she received the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Research Award for her quality of life outcomes research. Dr. Becker has served as Principle Investigator and Co-Principle Investigator on numerous outcome studies. Most recently, she served as Co-Principle Investigator and Lead Evaluator for the Triad Women's Project, a multi-million dollar competitive federal grant designed to create and evaluate specialized interventions for women with alcohol, drug abuse, and mental disorders who have histories of interpersonal violence. Dr. Becker continues her research focus on women’s mental health, quality of life outcomes across the life span, and linking outcomes research to clinical practice.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Overview & Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Women

1 Public Health and Women's Mental Health Marion Ann Becker Bruce Lubotsky Levin Ardis R. M. Hanson 3

2 Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Girls and Female Adolescents Lynn A. Warner Cynthia Bott 11

3 Mental Conditions in Adult Women: Epidemiology and Impact Mary Jane Alexander Caitlin McMahon 37

4 Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Older Women Heather A. Kenna Talayeh Ghezel Natalie L. Rasgon 65

5 Physical Illness and Medical Needs of Women with Mental Disorders Mary Jo Larson Sarah McGraw 81

Part II Selected Disorders

6 Depression and Postpartum Disorders Heather A. Flynn 109

7 Eating Disorders Rita DeBate Heather Blunt Marion Ann Becker 121

8 Menopause Tonita Wroolie Megan Holcomb 143

9 Substance Abuse Kristen L. Barry Frederic C. Blow 165

10 HIV/AIDS and Mental Disorders Linda Rose Frank Michael D. Knox Annie M. Waggoner 185

Part III Services Delivery & Emerging Research

11 Services in an Era of Managed Care Elizabeth Levy Merrick Sharon Reif 201

12 Evidence-Based Medicine Gina Perez Lisa Dixon Deanna L. Kelly 229

13 Mental Health Issues of Incarcerated Women Bonita M. Veysey 245

14 Services in the Workplace Alicia G. Dugan Vicki J. Magley 261

15 Organizational Stress and Trauma-Informed Services Sandra L. Bloom 295

16 Services in Rural Areas Pamela L. Mulder Robert Jackson Sarah Jarvis 313

17 Social and Community Contexts Jane K. Burke-Miller 335

18 Racial and Ethnic Disparities Yuri Jang David A. Chiriboga Marion Ann Becker 347

19 Parenting and Recovery for Mothers with Mental Disorders Joanne Nicholson 359

20 Navigating the Worlds of Information Ardis R. M. Hanson Bruce Lubotsky Levin 373

Index 391

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Howard M. Kravitz, DO, MPH (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This multiauthored book "offers a comprehensive assessment of women's mental health services," notes Rosalynn Carter in the foreword. It covers the epidemiology of mental disorders across the lifespan of women and discusses in detail mental and substance use disorders particularly relevant to women and emerging issues in women's mental health.
Purpose: The editors had three objectives: (1) highlight mental health and substance use disorders of particular concern to women; (2) emphasize services delivery and services research issues in women's mental health; (3) address these issues from a multidisciplinary public health perspective. In examining a broad array of women's mental health issues from this perspective, the editors hope to address a gap in the literature.
Audience: The target audience reflects the book's multidisciplinary perspective. The breadth of the readership net encompasses a wide variety of students, professionals, and policymakers in healthcare fields and governmental agencies, as well as consumers of these services.
Features: The 20 chapters are divided into three main sections. Part I ("Overview & Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Women") comprises five chapters that address mental disorders in females across the lifespan — girls, adolescents, adults and older women — from an epidemiological perspective. Part II ("Selected Disorders") comprises 5 chapters on conditions unique, relevant, and/or important to women, including postpartum and eating disorders, menopause, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. I'm puzzled that the chapter on menopause was placed in this section, which, according to the description in the preface, is for "specific mental disorders that are unique or of particular concern to women." I believe most women would agree that as annoying as some aspects of this phase of their life cycle may be, menopause per se is not a disorder. This chapter really belongs in Part I! Part III ("Services Delivery & Emerging Research") comprises 10 chapters covering a range of topics chosen by the editors "to be complementary with each other" and "critical to research and the effective provision of mental health services for women." The book is heavy on text, and relatively light on tables and figures.
Assessment: This book updates an earlier work published by the senior editor, Women's Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, Levin et al. (Sage Publications, 1998). Its emphasis remains on services delivery, but the book has been reorganized, with new editors, authors, and topics, and the focus has shifted toward women with mental disorders. This expensive ($159 at time of review) new book fills the niche the editors have sought, and mental health practitioners as well as others who provide healthcare for women might find it useful.

Doody's Review Service

From the reviews:

"The book by Levin and Becker entitled A Public Health Perspective on Women’s Mental Health will become a primary source for everyone interested in women’s issues. It is a comprehensive and unique overview on all aspects of this rapidly changing area. It is equally useful for both clinicians and policy makers, and provides detailed insight into issues that are often treated with a summary overview.

This book includes a review of the epidemiology of women’s medical and mental disorders throughout the life span and current information on obvious areas of interest, including eating disorders and depression. It also includes a public health perspective on issues less automatically thought about from a female perspective, including HIV/AIDS, epidemiology of incarceration, managed care organizations, substance use, and menopause. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone interested in the health and mental health of women."

Ronald J Diamond M.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin

"This timely resource offers a holistic examination of one of the most troubling failures of our health system – the persistent denial of mental health as a critical component of health – while also contributing to the growing body of evidence on the importance of women’s health, not only to women themselves, but to the safety and security of their families, communities, and society at large. Bravo to Drs. Levin & Becker for tackling this head on in a thorough, elegant, and straightforward manner. This book needs to be in the hands of every graduate student, educator, and professional interested in improving health locally and globally".Donna J. Petersen, MHS, ScD, Professor & Dean, College of Public Health, University of South Florida

“Current literature regarding women’s mental health services generally comes from a clinical and/or biomedical perspective. This volume’s approach is to examine the need for mental health services and the effect of mental disorders in women’s daily lives. … The collection emphasizes the importance of establishing a public health perspective for the study of women’s mental health via an interdisciplinary framework to support future research and policy. … Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and up.” (M. L. Charleroy, Choice, Vol. 48 (5), January, 2011)

“A Public Health Perspective of Women’s Mental Health fills a void in the literature discovered while Dr. Becker was teaching graduate students–no text dealt directly with mental disorders among women from a public health perspective, and one was sorely needed. … The data presented in this book help plug the gap in knowledge and give ideas for emerging opportunities for women’s health. … it is a wonderful compilation of data from two editors who are champions for policy on women’s mental health.”­­­ (Linda B. Cottler, The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, Vol. 37 (4), October, 2010)

From the Publisher

Reviewer: Howard M. Kravitz, DO, MPH(Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This multiauthored book "offers a comprehensive assessment of women's mental health services," notes Rosalynn Carter in the foreword. It covers the epidemiology of mental disorders across the lifespan of women and discusses in detail mental and substance use disorders particularly relevant to women and emerging issues in women's mental health.
Purpose: The editors had three objectives: (1) highlight mental health and substance use disorders of particular concern to women; (2) emphasize services delivery and services research issues in women's mental health; (3) address these issues from a multidisciplinary public health perspective. In examining a broad array of women's mental health issues from this perspective, the editors hope to address a gap in the literature.
Audience: The target audience reflects the book's multidisciplinary perspective. The breadth of the readership net encompasses a wide variety of students, professionals, and policymakers in healthcare fields and governmental agencies, as well as consumers of these services.
Features: The 20 chapters are divided into three main sections. Part I ("Overview & Epidemiology of Mental Disorders in Women") comprises five chapters that address mental disorders in females across the lifespan — girls, adolescents, adults and older women — from an epidemiological perspective. Part II ("Selected Disorders") comprises 5 chapters on conditions unique, relevant, and/or important to women, including postpartum and eating disorders, menopause, substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. I'm puzzled that the chapter on menopause was placed in this section, which, according to the description in the preface, is for "specific mental disorders that are unique or of particular concern to women." I believe most women would agree that as annoying as some aspects of this phase of their life cycle may be, menopause per se is not a disorder. This chapter really belongs in Part I! Part III ("Services Delivery & Emerging Research") comprises 10 chapters covering a range of topics chosen by the editors "to be complementary with each other" and "critical to research and the effective provision of mental health services for women." The book is heavy on text, and relatively light on tables and figures.
Assessment: This book updates an earlier work published by the senior editor, Women's Mental Health Services: A Public Health Perspective, Levin et al. (Sage Publications, 1998). Its emphasis remains on services delivery, but the book has been reorganized, with new editors, authors, and topics, and the focus has shifted toward women with mental disorders. This expensive ($159 at time of review) new book fills the niche the editors have sought, and mental health practitioners as well as others who provide healthcare for women might find it useful.