Arabic version: تقرير يربط الحالات الصحية الخاصة بالنساء بالضيق النفسي

According to ABC News, women living with female-specific physical conditions such as endometriosis experience greater psychological distress than women with conditions affecting both sexes. The finding appears in the recently released Beyond the Surface report by Women’s Mental Health Australia, which also identifies extra barriers to care for women in regional and remote Australia.

Samantha Banton waited almost two decades for an endometriosis diagnosis after pain began during her teenage years in Geraldton, 400 kilometres north of Perth. She said repeated visits to GPs did not provide answers and that she was told her symptoms were normal or that she was being dramatic. A laparoscopy, following difficulties falling pregnant, eventually diagnosed severe endometriosis. Ms Banton said years of uncertainty over her physical symptoms had a significant impact on her mental health.

Report co-author and neuroscientist Bronwyn Graham said female-specific conditions can be under-diagnosed, leaving women with pain and other symptoms for many years. She said symptoms can cause mental health distress, while women’s experiences in the health system can create secondary distress that elevates those symptoms. The report found women outside metropolitan areas had significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Isolation, limited providers and long waits for appointments were identified as challenges.

For women living far from major centres, treatment costs can add pressure. Ms Banton, who now lives more than 1,000 kilometres from Perth, said it was difficult not to keep a running total of what had been spent seeking answers. In Karratha, Dee Van Beek founded the not-for-profit Karratha Women’s Place, which offers free health programs and activities. Her daughter, provisional psychologist Fern Van Beek, said distance from family, friends and support networks, alongside limited local services, could add stress and anxiety. The report calls for greater investment and more integrated “wrap-around” care, including mental health support in routine healthcare.