Women and Schizophrenia [Paperback]

This book examines how being female affects onsets and nature of schizophrenia, and the implications of this for treatment.This comprehensive review of a complex area encompasses the biological, endocrinological, epidemiological, reproductive, psychological and social aspects of schizophrenia as experienced by women. An international, multidisciplinary team of clinicians and mental health researchers review past and current literature, assess the sex-specific issues and evaluate their therapeutic, clinical and social implications for more appropriate and effective treatments of schizophrenia in women now and in the future. This book is essential reading for all clinicians involved with mental health and also with women's health.This comprehensive review of a complex area encompasses the biological, endocrinological, epidemiological, reproductive, psychological and social aspects of schizophrenia as experienced by women. An international, multidisciplinary team of clinicians and mental health researchers review past and current literature, assess the sex-specific issues and evaluate their therapeutic, clinical and social implications for more appropriate and effective treatments of schizophrenia in women now and in the future. This book is essential reading for all clinicians involved with mental health and also with women's health.Gender impacts significantly on the onset and nature of schizophrenia suffered by women: the female brain develops more rapidly than the male; estrogens produce antipsychotic effects; the female brain ages differently from the male, with a massive preponderance of female very-late-onset schizophrenia that may be related to a relative excess of dopamine D2 receptors. This comprehensive review is as much about women as it is about schizophrenia, encompassing the biological, endocrinological, epidemiological, reproductive, psychological, and social aspects of schizophrenia as experienced by women. An international, multidisciplinary team of clór