Women's Mental Health
Mental health is much more than a diagnosis. It's your overall psychologicalwell-being, the way you feel about yourself and others as well as your ability to manage your feelings and deal with problems. Mental health refers to the state of our emotional, psychological and social well-being.
Before and After Pregnancy
For most women, pregnancy and birth are a time for celebration. However, this can also be a time of change in a woman’s body and lifestyle, which may increase the risk of poor mental health.
- In the postpartum period, 7.5% of women reported depressive symptoms.
- Before they became pregnant, 15.5% of women were either diagnosed with depression or treated with anti-depressants.
- In the 12 months before childbirth, 12.5% of women reported that most days were very stressful.
- Some women (13%) had little or no support available to them during their pregnancy.
- Women who experienced physical or sexual abuse were more likely to report postpartum depressive symptoms, a history of depression, stress, and little or no social support.
It is important to assess pregnant women’s mental health because it can affect not only the woman’s health, but also her newborn’s health and development.
Abusive Relationships
Abuse can take many forms – physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, financial, cultural, or neglect. The goal of an abuser is to frighten and control you. If you feel unsafe and are experiencing any of these forms of abuse, you live with violence.
- 67% of all Canadians say they personally know at least one woman who has been sexually or physically assaulted
- On average, every six days a woman in Canada is killed by her intimate partner. In 2009, 67 women were murdered by a current or former spouse or boyfriend
- Over half of Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of physical or sexual violence since the age of 16
- On any given day in Canada, more than 3,000 women (along with their 2,500 children) are living in an emergency shelter to escape domestic violence
- Violence against women exists in all cultures, ages, religions, sexual orientations, educational backgrounds and income levels. Our calls come from a range of socio-economic backgrounds who may not all access shelters but still require critical and immediate assistance
- In just one year in Canada, 427,000 women over the age of 15 reported they had been sexually assaulted. Since only about 10% of all sexual assaults are reported to the police, the actual number is much higher
- The cost of violence against women in Canada for health care, criminal justice, social services, and lost wages and productivity has been calculated at $7.4 billion per year
For immediate help call 1-866-863-0511
