Declaration for Mental Health Day

of  Women Mental Health Prevention Centre

in Naples, Italy

It is important to point out that there will be an increasing trend of psychic pathologies in the next twenty years, and that this increase creates a state of alarm in all health care institutions.

Depression, anxiety and eating disorders are the pathologies which are most increasing in Europe.

Women are those who suffer most from such disorders.

Depression, in particular, is the second cause of disease burden for women in the world.

In order to combat mental disorders priority must be given to recognising that there is a "female emergency" regarding mental pathologies in general, and with regard to depression in particular.

It must be recognized that this tendency to increase means that there is a lack of adequate prevention strategies and appropriate clinical treatment.

It must be realized that treatment by drugs, which today most widespread among women (who are the higher consumers of psychodrugs) does not combat depression but lead to chronic states and increases women's health problems.

In the field of research on women's risk factors,

it is necessary to focus on:

violence experiences, double work, motherhood stress, skills in taking care of others.

Clinical treatment must be directed towards:

-        the analysis of disease (anamnesis, diagnostic assessment, prognosis) showing up the risk factors involved in daily life before onset of mental pathology.

In particular the psychological and psychiatric approach must  show up  violence experiences,  work overload, motherhood  stress, and cultural aptitude to taking care of others;

-        the intervention on these factors by means of appropriate and innovative tools modifying lifestyles which cause stress and pathologies in women.

To fit the Prevention on Women's needs

Prevention is the first field of action to combat the mental disorders.

Prevention in the Community

consists in fight against: gender discrimination, poverty, hunger, malnutrition, overwork by multiple roles, sexual and domestic violence, sexual prejudices, which contribute to the high prevalence of mental problems experienced by women.

Institutions and Governments must carry on this kind of Prevention. 

Its aim is to promote equality policies and actions of empowerment for women.

Prevention in the Psychological and Psychiatric field

consists in giving a stop  to "the mutation process" from bad life-conditions to mental disorders.

Health care providers must carry on this kind of prevention.

Its aims are:

1.       To study and to verify how a social pressure becomes an illness, through the description and the analysis of life situations and clinical case.

2.     To spread strategies to face specific stressors in women's daily life and to avoid break-down reactions. 

Prevention in the daily life

consists in giving information on links between the daily life and risks of mental disorders.

This Prevention is addressed to women.

Its aim is improving the knowledge of women on daily life  risks and specifically when:

§       they feel guilty and accomplice of violence and discrimination experienced;

§       they take care of other's needs without recognition of their work and of the spent resources in favours to others;

§       they carry on family work without measuring the fatigue and their own limits;

§       they keep up relationship with the partner cutting themselves off friendly context;

§       they neglect personal interests: in study, professional training,  external work, hobbies, relationship, etc.; and neglect activities which contribute to their improvement;

§       they don't have supportive and hopeful relationships with persons out of the family;

§       they don't have  time for taking care of themselves.