You’d never ask a man to describe how it feels to give birth – the idea that a person without a uterus could truly understand it is ludicrous. And yet, for as long as scientific research has existed, women’s symptoms and experiences have been viewed through a male lens.
Although many think of women’s health as reproductive health, the term encompasses a variety of health conditions shared by both genders, because they manifest in and affect women and gender-diverse people differently than men.
Those differences by sex and gender are poorly understood, however, because women’s health – and mental health, in particular – is understudied, undervalued and underfunded. In fact, only 3% of health research looks at questions specific to women’s brain and mental health, according to a 2022 study.
The need for sex and gender-specific studies, particularly in brain and psychiatric health research, was one of the important themes discussed during a breakfast event in Vancouver hosted by BMO Private Wealth in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) through the womenmind program.
Moderator June Zimmer, BMO Private Wealth’s Regional President for Western Canada, kicked off the event by underscoring the connection between health and wealth, and BMO’s commitment to empowering and championing women. Joining Zimmer were Sandi Treliving, Director on the CAMH Foundation Board and founding funder of CAMH womenmind, Dr. Liisa Galea, Treliving Family Chair in Women’s Mental Health and Senior Scientist, CAMH, and Marianne Surmann, Vice President, Corporate and Community Health, Cleveland Clinic Canada.
womenmind is focused on advancing women’s mental health research and levelling the playing field for women in science through mentorship and funding initiatives. Sandi Treliving, a philanthropist and long-time advocate of mental health, believes it’s the right time and Canada is the right place for the organization to fuel this change.
“There is no centre for women’s mental health in the world, and that is where we are driving to go,” she added.
Same health issue, different symptoms
A crucial reason behind the push for more scientific research to take sex and gender differences into account – and report on those differences – is that historically, most health studies have almost exclusively used male subjects, whether human, animal or even cellular, noted Dr. Liisa Galea, who is a world-renowned expert in sex hormone influences on the brain. “Most of our medical knowledge, including the way we diagnose people, is based on what happens in men and the experiences of men.”
This has led many researchers to classify women’s symptoms as atypical or unremarkable, creating scenarios where doctors dismiss those symptoms entirely. The result is a delay in diagnosis that can range between two and six years.
“Women are twice to three times more likely to be diagnosed with depression, and we’re also more likely to have atypical depression,” Dr. Galea explained. “How can it be atypical depression when more people have it? It’s because we have a male standard.”
Caring for the caregivers
Women are often in a perpetual state of stress because they tend to be the de facto caregivers for children, parents, siblings and sometimes spouses, which can lead to depression. “Women take on 75% of caregiving, and it’s a fundamental part of being human. It’s the backbone of cultures around the world,” explained Cleveland Clinic Canada’s Marianne Surmann.
“If we stop and recognize that care work is valuable, that takes the pressure off, and those stressors do relax.”
Unfortunately, the important role most women have as caregivers may go unacknowledged or even punished in the workplace. “Just because you’re taking a 15-minute phone call from your sister, doesn’t mean you’re distracted,” she noted.
There are, however, some organizations trying to accommodate the complexities that women face as they navigate the task of caregiving – in particular, not having enough time to care for themselves. “There are organizations that provide gender-specific health risk screening,” Surmann added. “These are 20- or 40-minute appointments right at the workplace, and they’re actually pulling in details about women's health within those areas.”
A rising tide lifts all boats
Investing in women’s health can positively impact not just women but the communities, families and networks they belong to, June Zimmer noted. “Oftentimes, women are at the core of caring for others.”
Echoing the health and wealth connection made by Zimmer at the start of the event, Dr. Galea cited a recent World Economic Forum report on the worldwide gap in women’s health care, which concluded that addressing the root causes of this issue could potentially boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually.
“Imagine if we could invest that money back into the services we so desperately need,” Treliving pointed out. “It’s time for us to create the change that needs to happen. If we’re not going to invest in ourselves, who is?”
Resources
Center for Addiction and Mental Health
CAMH womenmind
Cleveland Clinic Canada
