How Misogyny affects the Treatment of Mental Health in Pregnant Women
by Jenn Mullin
According to the World Health Organization, about 10 percent of women who are pregnant and 13 percent of women who give birth, experience difficulties with mental health both during and post pregnancy.
This is a rough estimation that may actually be higher than reported, due to a persistent trend in the medical field that is harmful to not only pregnant women, but to females everywhere who must interact with male medical professionals.
There is a worryingly high number of pregnant women who have reported health concerns to male doctors or other male health professionals and found that their concerns were dismissed because they were seen to be exaggerating or overemotional in their claims.
Misogyny in the Medical Field
This disturbing revelation has a number of gross implications, but research has found that in a study conducted by A&E, when a group of women and men presented the same severity of abdominal pain, men only waited an average of 49 minutes to be treated. On the other hand, women waited an average total of 65 minutes to be treated.
So, how is it that misogyny in the medical field can affect pregnant women?
Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of stereotypes present about the mental and emotional wellbeing of a woman who is pregnant. The most well known being that their emotions are heightened, and therefore not to be taken seriously, during the pregnancy terms.
According to a study done by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology member Jane Halpert, she found that in terms of traditional stereotypes of pregnant women in the workplace, “Men tended to hold them more strongly than women in the past and that has not changed. It hasn’t even gone down at all. For example, we had a lot of people saying that pregnant women are emotionally volatile, that you have to walk on eggshells around them, that they will break in to tears at the slightest provocation. We have people who still say they are distracted from their jobs.”
Along with being seen as overemotional, pregnant women are also exposed to many hostilities depending on a number of factors:
- Their employment, or lack of.
- The number children they currently have, or lack of.
- Even the way that women dress during pregnancy can have an effect on the way that they are treated by a number of people in society.
According to a research study published by the Journal of Applied Psychology, “Pregnant women are viewed as more childlike and in need of assistance, and they therefore receive more help on common adult tasks and are “taken care of” more often than are non-pregnant women.”
With these stereotypes present in the medical field and in everyday society, what is the likelihood that a pregnant woman would take symptoms of a mental health disorder seriously and not write them off as simply a byproduct of being pregnant?
The answer, unfortunately, is not as high as we would like to think.
Mental Health in Pregnant Women
Depression, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions can occur during pregnancy.
Of these above disorders, depression, panic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders have the most reported data from gathered studies.
Depression during pregnancy may present in symptoms such as changes in sleep, appetite, and energy. Unfortunately, these symptoms can be difficult to distinguish from other pregnancy symptoms.
This is why it is important to have a medical professional willing to delve deeper to determine whether these symptoms are traditional symptoms of pregnancy or a sign of a mental health disorder.
Of the approximately 70 percent of pregnant women who report negative mood changes, 13 percent of women meet the criteria necessary for depression at 32 weeks gestation. Seventeen percent of women meet the criteria when they are at 35 to 96 weeks gestation.
Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders to be diagnosed amongst pregnant women. Women who have previously been diagnosed with depression prior to pregnancy are more likely to experience relapses in depressive episodes.
Key factors that may lead to the onset of depression or likelihood of depressive episodes to those previously diagnosed include a family history of mood disorders and post-partum depression, discontinuation of medication, and a previous history of psychiatric disorders.
When depression is left untreated in pregnancy due to unrecognized symptoms, it can lead to a lot of negative consequences, such as not following a recommended prenatal care plan, a lack of self-care and poor nutrition, suicidal thoughts and thoughts about harming the baby.
Treatment for depression in pregnant women remains very similar to treatment in people who are not pregnant, with the variances reported to be those considerations taken for the fetus in regard to medical prescriptions.
Panic disorder in pregnancy remains varied and unclear. The possible effects of panic disorders on the women carrying and the fetus are difficult to predict because every pregnancy is so individualized.
According to the BC Medical Journal, some studies have implicated that when a pregnant woman is suffering from increased anxiety, it can increase the resistance in uterine blood flow. This may lead to cortisol plasma levels in the woman rising, and have an effect on the brain of the fetus.
Treatment for panic disorders and other related anxiety disorders may include cognitive behavior therapy, pharmacology prescriptions, antidepressants, relaxation techniques, and counseling.
Receiving Adequate Patient Care
One of the most important steps after discovering you are pregnant is to establish an effective prenatal care plan. This is especially important if you take in to the consideration the unfortunate medical misogyny that still plagues the healthcare system today.
Establishing prenatal care with a trusted physician is important to reduce risks of pregnancy complications, avoiding potential exposure to harmful substances, and taking the proper steps toward proper health and nutrition. Prenatal medicine, such as Centrum prenatal vitamins, may be prescribed to ensure proper nutrition throughout the pregnancy.
It is very important to have a physician that you feel will listen to your symptoms, take your concerns seriously regarding your mental health, and do all they can in their power to make this experience as pleasant and worry-free as possible. This is why it is important to recognize that if you feel your physician is not taking your medical concerns seriously.
Early recognition of mental health disorders and implementation of treatment in pregnant women can greatly reduce the risk of postpartum depression and the continuation of other mental health disorders after the baby is born.
Recognizing the presence of a mental health disorder in a pregnant woman allows for the proper treatment plan to be made and followed. Treatment options should include alternatives for those who may not want to include prescription drugs in their treatment plans.
When pregnant women are seen to be feeble, childlike, and overemotional, it becomes harder for both themselves and others to recognize the serious symptoms of a mental health disorder.
In order to overcome this problem, it has to be recognized that pregnant women are no less members of society because of their pregnancy, and they should be afforded the same common courtesy that all non-pregnant members of society receive on a daily basis.
Jenn is a freelance writer, focusing on social, economic, and political issues. Her inspiration is writing about topics which provoke thought and start conversations surrounding important and controversial issues.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect all or some of our beliefs and policy. Any links on this page do not necessarily mean they have been endorsed by Defying Mental Illness.
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