Editorial
| Pages | 2-2 |
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/13619322200200001 |
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| Author | Elizabeth Parker |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Editorial
Elizabeth Parker
Editor
ing the developmental implications of their study, not
only in their teaching practice but in their programme
of work with service users and providers.
Khatija Chandler is concerned that the Strategy
might not adequately take into account the needs of
black women. She emphasises the importance of
considering race and gender together. An understanding
of cultural issues alone is insufficient; what is required
is an appreciation of the context in which black
women live – that is, the expectations placed on them
as women, and the role that cultural values play,
particularly those that may jeopardise women’s mental
health.
The Case Study features the Swan Centre for
Women, an outstanding example of a service that
ensures that it meets women’s mental health needs. It
does this by offering an array of services from which
clients choose those they feel are right for them. It is
also striking that there is no pressure to progress, to
‘get better’, so that women can go at whatever pace
suits them. The holistic ‘client and staff’ centred
philosophy permeates Mary Weston’s article through
which the charisma of the Centre clearly shines.
Starting this year, we aim to include in each Review
one paper which is outside the general theme. In this
issue Mat Kinton summarises the recommendations of
the Mental Health Act Commission for services for
detained patients, which include ensuring the safety,
privacy and dignity of detained women patients.
Throughout this issue much of the emphasis has
been on understanding where women in distress are
coming from, appreciating both their experiences as
women and their social and cultural backgrounds. It is
this understanding that is so important for providing
appropriate and responsive services – and would
constitute a sound starting point for the forthcoming
Women’s Mental Health Strategy.
2The Mental Health Review Volume 7 Issue 1 March 2002 ©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) 2002
hy do we need to focus on mental
health services for women, or indeed, on any particular
group of service users? After all, since 1990 an individ-
ualised procedure has been embodied in the Care
Programme Approach which stipulates that everyone
presenting to the secondary level psychiatric services
should have their health and social needs assessed and
then have a care plan drawn up to address those
needs. As we now know, the reality often is that
patients are referred to whatever services are available.
It is also rare for there to be systematic monitoring of
unmet needs, resulting in the lack of sound informa-
tion on which to base the development of effective
dedicated mental health services.
It has become clear that women, the largest group
coming into contact with mental health services, are
particularly badly served. Not only are their mental
health needs not adequately addressed but the factors
– social, cultural and personal – resulting in their
mental distress are neither understood nor recognised.
These factors are described in some detail in the
Framework Feature by Jennie Williams and Sara Scott
who also depict the generally poor response by the
mental health services. The inextricable linkage
between women’s treatment by the mental health
services, their mental distress, and their experience of
being women is also explored by the Women’s
Collective who, in the Personal Perspective, give a
telling insight into some women’s experiences.
The hope of the Collective that ‘policy begins to
recognise the different experiences of women in
relation to mental health’ seems about to be realised –
the Department of Health is committed to producing
a Women’s Mental Health Strategy later this year. As
part of the preparatory work, Marion Barnes and her
colleagues have identified the core issues and set out
the guiding principles for developing women-sensitive
mental health services. This is an example of practice
running ahead of policy: the authors are already pursu-
W
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