The best of news and research articles related to women's mental health issues, as selected by the The Balanced Mind Foundation. 

Gender Issues in Mental Health
When it comes to mental health, how are men and women different?

Stress Hormone Receptors Less Adaptive in Female Brain

Research findings in rats could help explain women being more prone to anxiety and mood disorders.

Epilepsy Drug Linked to Serious Birth Defects
Valproic acid (also commonly known as Depakote and Depakene) has been found to increase the risk of birth defects.

Postpartum Period High-Risk Time for Women With Mood Disorders 

Why Chatting Too Long on Facebook Can Get a Girl Down
Too much chatting with their friends can make girls prone to anxiety and depression, a study has found.

Sex Difference in Antidepressant Response
In the largest analysis of gender differences in response to antidepressant treatment, researchers found that women are more likely to benefit from treatment with common antidepressants than are men.

Gender Differences in Bipolar Disorder May Lead To Misdiagnosis 
This article explores gender differences in how bipolar disorder is expressed in women.

Familial Mood Disorders (video)
Depression and bipolar disorders can be passed down in families but are more common in women. See what can be done to treat mood disorders and associated reproductive dysfunction.

Autism 'May Be Missed in Girls'
Girls with mild autism are less likely to be identified and diagnosed than boys, a study suggests.

Gender Differences in Prevalence, Risk, and Clinical Correlates of Alcoholism Comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder (research abstract)
The prevalence of lifetime alcohol abuse and/or dependence in patients with bipolar disorder has been reported to be higher than in all other axis I psychiatric diagnoses. This study examined gender-specific relationships between alcoholism and bipolar illness, which have previously received little systematic study.

Gender Differences in Chronic Major and Double Depression
This study examines gender differences in clinical features of depression.

Women With Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder: Lack of Relationship Between Menstrual Cycle Phase and Mood (research abstract)
Women are overrepresented in samples of patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder (RCBD). To explore whether menstrually related mood changes might account for this gender difference, this study examines the relationship between menstrual cycle phase and mood.

Reducing Suicidal Behaviors Among Adolescents: Body Image
Girls who view themselves as too fat may display more suicidal behaviors than those who are actually overweight, according to a study by Inas Rashad, an assistant professor of economics at Georgia State University.

Childhood Abuse Associated with Onset of Psychosis in Women
Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London have published new research which indicates that women with severe mental illness are more likely to have been abused in childhood that the general population. But the same association has not been found in men.

Mental Health Problems in Childhood May Predict Later Suicide Attempts in Males - But Not Females
Most males who commit suicide or need hospital care for suicide attempts during their teen or early adult years appear to have high levels of psychiatric problems at age 8, according to a new report. However, later suicide attempts in females are not predicted by mental health issues at this age.

How Adolescent Girls Manage Stress
Greater influence over everyday life, emotional support, and cultural and recreational activities help to enable teenage girls to withstand stress.

Brain Emotion Circuit Sparks as Teen Girls Size Up Peers
This recent study shows how emotional circuitry diverges in the male and female brain during a developmental stage in which girls are at increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders.

Pregnant Women at Risk of Bipolar Recurrence with Interruption of Medication
According to a new study, women with bipolar disorder who stop taking mood stabilizing medication--such as lithium, antipsychotics and anticonvulsants prescribed as mood stabilizers-- appear to be much more likely to suffer a recurrence of the disorder.

What Would You Do? A Pregnant Woman on Cymbalta
Ms. A is concerned about her baby’s exposure to medication, but she also is afraid that she will experience a recurrence if she stops her medication.  Here are some factors she should consider.

Premature Birth Risk in Women Taking SSRIs or Suffering from Untreated Depression
Untreated major depression, as well as the use of antidepressant medications, may increase the risk of premature (preterm) birth, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

In Utero Exposure to Antipsychotics