Out of Her Mind: How We Are Failing Women's Mental Health and What Must Change

by Linda Gask

For centuries so called 'difficult women' have been labelled as 'hysterical' and 'out of their minds'. Today they wait longer for health diagnoses, often being told it's 'all in their heads'. Although healthcare systems are overburdened, why are women the first to feel the effects of this? Why is it so hard for women to find the kind of help they need? Why is no one listening to them? And why have so many lost faith in mental healthcare? Drawing on the lived experiences of women, alongside expert commentators, recent history, current events, and her own personal and professional experience, Dr Linda Gask explores women's mental healthcare today. In doing so she confronts her role as a psychiatrist, recalling experiences treating women and as a woman who has received mental healthcare, illustrating the dire need for more change, faster. Women can't all be out of their minds.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health, Womens, Psychology, Feminism, Health

312 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2024

Reviews

[Charlotte Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blends the author’s personal and professional experience as a psychiatrist who has her own mental health difficulties with the testimonies of women who have been failed by the mental health system. From adolescence to menopause, women are in crisis and services are not meeting their needs. While some contemporary women writers in mental health claim that psychiatry is automatically oppressive and a tool of the patriarchy, Linda Gask takes the view that mental health conditions are real, debilitating and deserving of treatment, and that while many girls and women experience abuse of some kind, not all mental suffering can be explained away as a trauma response. Medication does help many people, and even the much stigmatised electro convulsive therapy can have benefits for some. Yet still too many women are told that they have “disordered personalities” or that they are attention seeking, and too many psychiatric wards are re-traumatising places where there is little care and compassion. This is a call to arms which insists that we can and MUST do better for women with mental illnesses. Buy a copy for your doctor!

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant! A powerful call to action and a stark reminder (for those who need one) that women of any age are still routinely silenced and dismissed!

[Alice Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A depressing but incredibly important read.

[Kaitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping to get more out of this book. It starts strong, with a clear sense of purpose and some well-presented facts - but then it loses this strength as the book develops. At first, the level of detail presented is in support of the argument, presenting case studies and clear conclusions, but as the book goes on the detail becomes repetitive. Similarly, the wordy, conversational style at first moves the reader quickly along, but starts to become skippable - and could sometimes have done with a bit more punctuation to allow for pauses in the narrative, rather than running through the seeming stream of consciousness of the author.
Once at the last third, the book simply becomes a litany of failings of the NHS towards women in mental health crises. While entirely pertinent, fewer examples would have made the point and allowed for more development of why or perhaps how to fix it, or perhaps made space for discussions on topics almost entirely missed within this book, such as autism, ADHD, or the effect of 'normal' hormonal fluctuations.
All that being said, it's hard to really discern the point of this book. The takeaway seems to be that more women have mental health issues because women experience more of the things that cause it, including poor treatment from medical professionals, and clear systemic and sociological factors. And... that's just the way it is?

[Ruth F · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read about Women's mental health touching on topics from history, women's health, diagnoses and treatment of women.

It's a must read for anyone working with women with mental health problems

[Nicky Getgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening yet easy read.

[jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

i fear i already knew most of this

[craziegrazie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had many strengths and I generally enjoyed this book. With this genre, it is hard to write a book without becoming repetitive. The rating of this book would have went up if the length was shortened a bit!!! The writing was nice and conversational, which was super easy to read and fall into. On the contrast, it also made it to where it could be super skippable in other areas!