The Open Women's Health Journal

2009, 3 : 1-4
Published online 2009 June 05. DOI: 10.2174/1874291200903010001
Publisher ID: TOWHJ-3-1

Complex Manifestations of Gender Disparity in Academic Medicine

Toshinori Kitamura , Hiroshi Yamashita and Keiko Yoshida
Department of Clinical Behavioural Sciences (Psychological Medicine), Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan;

ABSTRACT

Mothers of 3-month-old babies (N = 1,298) were investigated, about 5% of whom reported depression. Of the women with depression, 7% visited a medical institution for their condition. The mothers with depression who did not seek medical support scored significantly higher in bonding failure than those who did so. Less frequent spontaneous medical support seeking among mothers with both depression and bonding failure underscores the importance of assertive (outreach) community mental health care for postnatal women.

Keywords:

Postnatal depression, bonding failure, child abuse.