Northeast Health Services is dedicated to supporting your mental health. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, we encourage you to reach out for immediate support through your local crisis services by dialing 988, contacting your local emergency services, or visiting your local emergency room.
Women’s mental health is influenced by a range of interconnected factors, including hormonal shifts, genetic predispositions, life roles, caregiving stress, and often experiences of trauma or chronic pressure. These dynamics affect how women process emotions, maintain relationships, and respond to stress in their daily lives. If you’re feeling exhausted or emotionally overwhelmed, you’re not alone.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 26.4%. of women experienced a mental health condition in 2022, compared to 19.7% of men.1
Prioritizing your mental health isn’t indulgent. It’s essential. You deserve care that helps you build a stronger, more balanced future.
Understanding barriers to women’s mental health
While women are statistically more likely than men to seek support for mental health challenges, that doesn’t mean access is simple.² Many face ongoing obstacles that delay care or make it harder to maintain. These may include any or all of the following.
Juggling responsibilities
Women often carry a heavy load, managing professional commitments, family life, and caregiving responsibilities for children, partners, parents, or friends. With so many others to care for, personal health can easily fall to the bottom of the list. Feelings of guilt or cultural expectations around selflessness can make prioritizing women’s health feel like a luxury instead of a need.
Financial limitations or insurance complications
Even with insurance coverage, mental health care can still be financially inaccessible. High deductibles, limited in-network options, or the cost of childcare while attending appointments can all present real roadblocks. These challenges are even greater for women in lower-income households. Northeast Health Services works with most major insurance plans and can help you understand and verify your benefits.
Internalized stigma
Despite growing awareness, mental health in women is still subject to stigma. Some may worry that asking for help will lead others to see them as unstable, dramatic, or undeserving of the support they need. Cultural, familial, or spiritual values emphasizing sacrifice can also make self-care feel like a betrayal of those beliefs. Over time, this can lead to emotional exhaustion or symptoms of depression.
Past experiences of being dismissed
Women, particularly women of color, have historically been ignored or invalidated in medical and mental health settings. Those experiences can leave lasting scars and create fear about trying again. Similarly, LGBTQIA+ individuals may have felt unseen or unsupported by providers who failed to affirm their identities or experiences.
At Northeast Health Services, we take a personalized approach to care. Whether you are cisgender or gender-diverse, our intake team will match you with a provider who understands your needs and works to create a space where you feel safe, heard, and valued.
Lack of time or emotional capacity
Many women simply feel too overwhelmed to start care. When your energy is already maxed out, adding therapy to your schedule might feel like one more thing you can’t manage. Often, this leads to default coping strategies, like zoning out in front of a screen, that provide momentary relief but no long-term healing.
That’s why Northeast Health Services offers care that adapts to your life. Our flexible scheduling includes both in-person therapy and telehealth options, making it easier to access support in a way that works for you.
What does women’s mental health really mean?
Women’s mental health encompasses much more than emotional regulation. It includes coping with stress, relating to others, caring for yourself without guilt, and staying grounded in your thoughts and feelings. It’s not about eliminating stress, but about handling life’s demands without leaning on avoidance strategies like binge-watching, excessive drinking, or other habits that offer temporary escape but little long-term relief.
Just as your physical health can ebb and flow, your mental state will likely shift depending on your circumstances. Periods of clarity and strength may be followed by times of overwhelm or fatigue. A mix of biological, environmental, and psychological influences, like health conditions, social expectations, trauma, or family responsibilities, can shape your emotional landscape.
Healthy boundaries, a strong sense of autonomy, and access to reliable support systems are essential to lasting emotional wellness. Therapy can be a valuable tool in helping individuals who identify as women build practices that reinforce mental health in women and foster long-term resilience.
Signs your mental health is in a good place
Mental wellness doesn’t mean feeling cheerful all the time. It means understanding your emotions, treating yourself with compassion, and knowing when to seek help without shame or hesitation.
You’re able to name and understand your emotions
If you can identify whether you’re feeling anxious, angry, or overwhelmed, and understand what triggered it, that’s a sign of emotional clarity. If emotions often feel like a blur or come on all at once, it may be time to slow down and check in with yourself.
Your sleep and eating habits are fairly stable
Disruptions to sleep and appetite are often among the earliest signals that something’s off. Skipping meals, stress-eating, falling asleep at inappropriate times, or waking in the middle of the night may indicate that your body and mind are feeling overtaxed.
You can concentrate and follow through on tasks
Everyone has off days. But if staying focused, remembering details, or completing basic tasks feels consistently difficult, that may point to burnout, anxiety, or depression, all conditions that can benefit from early intervention.
You feel connected to others
Having close relationships, whether with friends, family, or coworkers, provides a critical buffer against stress and isolation. Even one or two trusted people can make a major difference in how you process difficult emotions.
Your coping tools actually recharge you
Unwinding with wine or a favorite show might offer a momentary break, but if those habits are your only outlet, they can start to backfire. Effective coping might look like walking, creative expression, connecting with a friend, or taking space to recharge without guilt.
Building and maintaining healthy routines isn’t frivolous. It’s foundational. Chronic stress has been linked to increased risks for autoimmune conditions and long-term health complications. Taking care of your emotional well-being is one of the most important ways to protect your overall health.
At Northeast Health Services, we recognize the connection between identity, lived experience, and mental health. Our team will work with you to develop care plans that align with your life and reflect your individual needs.
Common mental health conditions among women
Although awareness of women’s mental health has grown, that hasn’t eliminated the tendency for women’s symptoms to be dismissed or misunderstood. Even when a diagnosis is given, it doesn’t always come with the validation or follow-up care needed. Women across different life stages and identities often face similar mental health concerns, including:- Depression: Women are diagnosed with depression at roughly twice the rate of men. Causes can include hormonal fluctuations, unresolved trauma, chronic stress, and the emotional demands of caregiving at work or at home.
- Anxiety disorders: Anxiety may show up as excessive worry, panic attacks, irritability, or sleep disturbances. While manageable at first, these symptoms can disrupt focus, relationships, and overall well-being.
- Perinatal mental health conditions: Emotional shifts during pregnancy and after childbirth may include anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or mood instability, not just postpartum depression. These experiences are common, and support is available.
- Postpartum depression (PPD): Roughly one in seven women experiences postpartum depression,3 which can bring on distressing thoughts, emotional numbness, or intense sadness. Fear of judgment often prevents open conversations.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Many women develop PTSD as a result of domestic violence, sexual trauma, or other interpersonal harm. Symptoms can include emotional withdrawal, hypervigilance, or flashbacks.
- Eating disorders: Though these can affect anyone, disordered eating is more prevalent in women. These conditions are often tied to body image concerns, perfectionism, or feelings of control and shame.
When support isn’t in place
Many women are used to pushing through stress without stopping to assess how they’re really doing. But over time, that pattern can take a toll, leading to burnout, loneliness, and even physical health challenges.
Therapy creates space to slow down and reflect. Whether you’re managing career pressures, relationship dynamics, caregiving, or a combination of all three, having a space that’s just for you can make all the difference. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and restore emotional balance.
In more serious cases, mental health conditions left untreated can lead to suicidal thoughts or crises. These struggles are more common than many realize, but they’re also highly treatable with the right support. Early care can be life-changing and life-saving.
Raising women’s mental health awareness begins with acknowledging that mental and emotional struggles are real, common, and worthy of care. Therapy isn’t about being “fixed.” It’s about being met with empathy and having someone walk beside you as you move toward clarity and healing.
Begin your journey toward better women’s health
At Northeast Health Services, we offer a range of services to support mental health in women, including therapy, psychiatric medication management, and advanced treatments like NeuroStar® TMS and Spravato®. We proudly serve women from all backgrounds, providing care that is affirming, accessible, and tailored to your goals.
We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, and our team is here to help you find a care path that fits your needs and your life. To speak with someone about our services, call 508.794.8711.
If you’re new to Northeast Health Services, please click here to schedule your first appointment. If you’re a returning client, click here to find your location and contact your care team directly.
Sources:
- National Institute of Mental Health. “Mental Illness.” Accessed June 11 2025.
- American Psychiatric Association. “Mental Health Disparities: Women’s Mental Health.” Accessed June 11 2025.
- BMC Public Health. “Exploring Predictors and Prevalence of Postpartum Depression Among Mothers: Multinational Study.” Accessed August 22 2025.