The liberated woman: healthy and neurotic

Women and depression: a Durkheimian perspective

Sex differences in mental disorder rates have been examined from two opposing perspectives. One of these suggests that women have higher rates due to sex role related stress [1. Am. J. Sociol. 78, 812, 1972; 2. Gender and Disordered Behavior, p. 23. Brunner/Mazel, New York, 1979]. The other holds that women do not have generally higher rates than men but rather that they manifest different types of psychiatric disorders [3. A. Rev. Psychiat. 25, 417, 1974; 4. Am. J. Sociol. 81, 1447, 1976]. This paper develops a theoretical paradigm to clarify and extend the latter position thereby facilitating an empirical test of the two opposing positions. Psychiatric disorder rates are examined for women living in two communities with contrasting sex role norms, the traditional Orthodox Jewish community with traditional sex role norms and the modern Orthodox Jewish community with changing sex role norms. The sex role stress perspective and the theoretical paradigm developed here lead to different predictions regarding the comparative disorder rates among these women. The observed rates of disorder are not consistent with the role stress theory.

The professional woman as patient: a review and an appeal

The unique problems that the professional woman brings to therapy are presented here. It is the author's contention that the career woman's difficulties are not adequately realized or understood by many male therapists. Many of these patients are disappointed with or highly critical of their therapy with male psychiatrists. Two sub-groups of professional women are described: the married professional woman and the unattached professional woman. There are critical sex-role relate issues and countertransference problems which arise with the male therapist: professional woman patient dyad. Other implications for male psychiatrists are outlined and suggestions offered toward therapist enlightenment.