Women's physical and mental health 'inseparable', new research finds

New research from Women's Mental Health Australia reveals a significant link between women's physical and mental health, particularly for those with endometriosis and other hormone-related conditions. The study found that almost half of women with endometriosis reported experiencing anxiety, while those with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome faced depression and anxiety at up to twice the rate of women without these conditions.

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The government's investing a lot in women's health at the moment... and there is a really practical step that they could be taking to reduce that gap.

The findings highlight critical gaps in Australia's healthcare system. Women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome showed higher rates of depression and anxiety, and also reported elevated rates of self-harm and suicide ideation. Ten percent of these women and 13% of women with endometriosis reported such issues, compared to four percent of women without these conditions.

Katrina Locandro, chief operating officer at Women's Mental Health Australia, stressed the urgency of integrating mental health support into existing women's physical healthcare services. "The government's investing a lot in women's health at the moment... and there is a really practical step that they could be taking to reduce that gap," she told the Australian Associated Press.

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We're not asking the government to build a new system, we're asking it to strengthen an existing one by recognising that women's physical and mental health are inseparable.

Locandro advocates for standard integrated mental health assessments and support in government-funded endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics. "We're not asking the government to build a new system, we're asking it to strengthen an existing one by recognising that women's physical and mental health are inseparable," she stated. Bronwyn Graham, a co-author of the report, added that this approach would be a "game-changer" for women navigating separate physical and mental health journeys.

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Women are being asked to manage two separate journeys, one for their body and one for their mind, and to find their own way between them at the point they are least able to.