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Article
Exploring Differences Between Community-Based Women and Men with a History of Mental Illness
Issues in Mental Health Nursing
  • Cheryl Forchuk, University of Western Ontario
  • Elsabeth Jensen, York University
  • Rick Csiernik, University of Western Ontario - King's University College
  • Catherine Ward-Griffin, University of Western Ontario
  • Susan Ray, University of Western Ontario
  • Phyllis Montgomery, Laurentian University
  • Linda Wan, Lawson Health Research Institute
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2009
Disciplines
Abstract

Relatively little is understood concerning the role of gender in persons with a history of mental illness residing in the community. This paper aims to explore gender's effect using data from the Community Research University Alliance project entitled, Mental Health and Housing. The primary five-year longitudinal study examined housing situations for psychiatric consumer/survivors in a mid-size, central Canadian region in an effort to improve the number and quality of appropriate housing situations. Data from 887 subjects in the original research underwent secondary analysis with particular relevance to differences between gender and indicators of health status including psychiatric history, levels of functioning, personal strengths and resources, and illness severity. Results of the secondary analysis found male and female differences that corroborated previous research. More women are housed than men, more women with mental illness were coupled than men, men have fewer social supports, and men have more substance abuse issues than women. These findings suggest health services within the community must consider these sex differences if they wish to properly assist Canadian individuals diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Notes
Published in: Issues in Mental Health Nursing, Volume 30, Issue 8 August 2009 , pages 495 - 502. doi: 10.1080/01612840802624467
Citation Information
Cheryl Forchuk, Elsabeth Jensen, Rick Csiernik, Catherine Ward-Griffin, et al.. "Exploring Differences Between Community-Based Women and Men with a History of Mental Illness" Issues in Mental Health Nursing Vol. 30 Iss. 8 (2009) p. 495 - 502
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/rick_csiernik/5/