What are the lived experiences of healthcare delivery forperimenopausal women with a pre-diagnosed mental healthproblem compared to perimenopausal women without apre-diagnosed mental illness?

摘要

Throughout history women have experienced inequalities and some authors have argued that ill health has been used as a form of social control and escape from social situations (Showalter 1987; Appignanesi 2008). This preliminary research proposal gives an overview of an intended research project exploring the healthcare experiences of perimenopausal women with a pre-diagnosed mental health problem. This group of participants will be compared to perimenopausal women who do not have a diagnosed mental illness before entering this transitional period. The aim is to gain a greater understanding of the experiences of women using a generic case study approach with an ethnographic focus. It is anticipated that data collection will begin in June 2013. It is hoped that any recommendations will to help redress some of the inequalities experienced by women with mental health problems.