Women’s health as a subspecialty in medicine has grown significantly in recent times. Research on gender differences includes gender differences in the causation of illness, clinical presentation, and treatment response. Certain psychiatric disorders are more common in women than in men. For instance, women are two to three times more likely to be depressed than men. They are also reported to have more severe episodes of depression, and are more likely to experience relapse or recurrence of a depressive episode than men. Certain diagnoses which are unique to women include pre-menstrual syndrome, postpartum depression and depression during the menopause.
Recent advances in basic sciences and pharmacokinetic research indicate differences between men and women, which may affect vulnerability to and presentation of illnesses, and differences in treatment response. Hormones influence pharmacokinetics; hence, a gender sensitive approach to treatment is important.

The department of psychiatry at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Center has recently started a Women’s Mental Health Clinic.

Services offered in this clinic include a detailed assessment, with a focus on women’s mental health problems, a detailed psychometric evaluation, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and counseling services.