Women’s unique experiences across their life course are often completely forgotten when it comes to mental health care. Many women tell us this leaves them feeling unheard, dismissed, unsupported, and on their own. Sound familiar?
Well, The Female Mental Health Collective is here to shake things up and offer a place to be heard and supported through our three pillars: support, community, and research.
Our mission is to create a community for women, led by women, where we can connect over our shared experiences. We want to empower women to have their voices heard and change the narrative in research and mental health support, putting your needs front and centre.
So you have tailored support that works
So you feel connected and less alone
So your questions get heard and answered
Women’s mental health is influenced by social and environmental factors, e.g., gendered expectations like being a carer, increased likelihood of violence and abuse, financial instability and poverty, and limited access to healthcare.
50% of women expressed that their stress levels are higher compared to a year ago.
Women spend 25% more of their lives in poor health compared to men, impacting their economic participation and opportunity in the workplace.
25% of women reported that they were dealing with health issues related to menstruation, fertility, or menopause which has an impact on their mental health.
29% of black British women experience a common mental health problem; this is at a higher prevalence compared to white British women.
13% more black mothers experience postpartum depression than any other group. Racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination are barriers to accessing care.
Women from minority ethnicity communities, LGBTQ+ women, and women with disabilities often face intersectional discrimination, compounding their mental health challenges.
40% of women reported experiencing high menstrual pain or menopausal pain AND worked through it.
Women’s Mental Health is in crisis, and we need to do something!
I have a busy family and work life but I feel lonely a lot of the time, because I’ve lost contact with my social circle since starting a family
I feel like I’m the only one going through these things
For me, it feels like we have to dig deep for the information after the event or when at the point of feeling desperate for answers
In desperation, I've had to do my own research about my health
We’ve found that women can be very good at prioritising the needs of those around them and ignoring or minimising their own needs so they don’t reach out for help or support.
This is partly due to the gender norms placed on women, such as expectations to manage childcare and household responsibilities. But also, many of the challenges women face with their mental and physical health are still often seen as taboo (i.e. menstruation, fertility, and peri/menopause) and, therefore, not readily spoken about.
This leads to women feeling:
→ embarrassed
→ isolated and alone
→ different in some way
If you resonate with this, we’ve got you! Our community is waiting for you. Belonging is a fundamental part of being human. This is why community is at the heart of The Female Mental Health Collective.
We’re here to help you find the help you actually need, from peer to peer conversations to professional support by experts working within the industry.
Too often, healthcare providers do not fully consider how women’s mental and physical health are interconnected. This means women are not getting the holistic support they need.
The women we’ve spoken to have been left no choice but to piece things together for themselves; they’ve undertaken courses, trawled the internet for answers and sought advice on TikTok and Instagram.
This leaves women feeling:
→ invalidated and shamed
→ let down and lost
→ ignored and frustrated
And we have had enough!
The FMH Collective is a welcoming community where you have access to bespoke support and the tailored help you need. You no longer have to endlessly scroll the internet and social media looking for joined-up advice on your mental health.
Women were typically excluded because the nature of their bodies were seen to complicate findings.
Women’s:
→ menstrual cycles
→ ability to become pregnant
→ experience of infertility
→ peri/menopause
→ and hormonal fluctuations
were described as an inconvenience!
Therefore, research was solely done on men, and the results generalised to women, simply treating us like small men!
Decades of being neglected from research means that medical and psychological support has not properly considered how the events that happen through the female lifespan impact mental health (and vice-versa).
Therefore, we are not receiving accurate information about our bodies so we cannot make informed choices about our health.
One in three women in the UK will suffer from a reproductive or gynaecological health issue in their lives, less than 2.5% of publicly funded research is dedicated solely to reproductive health.
What’s more, five times more research goes into erectile dysfunction — which affects 19% of men — than into premenstrual syndrome, which affects 90% of women
Many of the women we work with want more clarity on perimenopause, the link between their menstrual cycle and mood and so much more.
Many of the women we work with want more clarity on perimenopause, the link between their menstrual cycle and mood, and so much more.
We often get asked:
→ Am I perimenopausal or struggling with my mental health (or both)?
→ How can I effectively support my mood, which seems influenced by my menstrual cycle?
The priority of The Female Mental Health Collective (FMHC) is to listen to women’s experiences and questions; then take these to universities and research labs we’ve partnered with, so they address the things that matter to you.
We’ll collaborate with academics, healthcare professionals and the women in the FMHC community to ensure that your raised voice is heard, explored and answered.
And we won’t stop there. The research findings will be shared with our FMHC community so that you can use the research and know that your questions were answered. We hope that women who join us on this journey will feel empowered to gain new knowledge about their health.
Ready to be heard?
Join our waitlist NOW.
Hi, I’m Dr Gracie, a Clinical Psychologist, Founder & Women’s Mental Health Advocate.
Hi, I’m Christie, a Clinical Psychologist (Trainee), PhD Researcher, Founder & Women’s Mental Health Advocate.
