June 2025
By Gloria Vanderham
I was shocked to hear that for far too long, the intricate complexities of women’s health have been relegated to the shadows, treated as a footnote rather than the multifaceted medical priority it deserves to be. May marked both National Women’s Health Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, but our commitment to women and mental health cannot begin and end with a month on the calendar.
Despite comprising more than half of the U.S. population and driving 80% of family medical decisions, women are navigating a healthcare system that was not designed with them in mind. Two particular areas—women’s mental health and brain health—continue to be under-funded, under-researched, and often misunderstood despite their foundational role in overall well-being. Of 50,000+ neuroimaging articles published since 1995, yet only 0.5% focus specifically on women’s health issues. However, we are beginning to see positive changes within women’s mental and brain health. The CDC recently revealed declining rates of sadness and hopelessness among female students, thanks to schools and communities prioritizing mental health conversations, expanding counseling access, and creating supportive environments. Meanwhile, institutions like Yale’s Women’s Health Research Center are revolutionizing women’s healthcare through improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies tailored to women’s biology. While awareness months highlight where there is more work to be done, advancing women’s health requires consistent, year-round commitment.
Mental Health Is Not Just A Mood—It Is A Medical Priority
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience depression and anxiety, yet their symptoms are often minimized or misdiagnosed. Too frequently, they are told it is just stress or hormones, rather than being offered a deeper evaluation or care plan. This has real consequences—delayed treatment, prolonged suffering, and ripple effects on everything from careers to caregiving responsibilities.
The mental load women carry—balancing roles at home, in the workforce, and within society—comes at a cost. And yet, mental health support systems still are not designed with women-lived experiences in mind.
Brain Health Deserves A Gender Lens
A big factor in our mental health also affects our brain health—the two are deeply connected, yet too often treated separately. And when it comes to brain health, women face specific neurological risks that are frequently overlooked.
Women represent nearly two-thirds of all Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S., and yet research, prevention strategies, and treatments often lack a gender-specific lens.
Brain changes also affect women during key life stages—puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause—which remain largely uncharted territory in scientific literature.
One major reason? Most brain health research has historically been conducted on male test models, based on the flawed assumption that findings would apply universally. As a result, the neurological realities of females have been left out of the data—and the solutions.
Let’s Keep The Conversation And The Work Going
Women’s health is complex, connected, and constantly evolving. Mental and brain health are just two critical areas that show how far we still have to go—and how much we stand to gain by getting it right.
In my experience of more than two decades in healthcare, I have learned that progress does not happen by accident—it happens when we listen, invest in what matters, and communicate with intention. That means supporting research, rethinking care systems, and pushing innovation that reflects women’s needs.
We have platforms, tools, and momentum. Now we need sustained commitment to match. Real change does not come from recognition alone—it comes from what we do next.
[Originally published by Springboard Enterprises]