Women's Voices in Psychiatry

Book excerpt: In early 2015, the Royal College of Psychiatrists had 4,640 female Members and Fellows and 6,015 male Members and Fellows, a ratio of 43.5% to 56.5%. Despite the high and increasing proportion of women in UK psychiatry over the years (relative to other medical specialties), publications about the history and practice of psychiatry have traditionally been written by men and about men, and there has been a distinct lack of commentary from the woman's perspective. Women's Voices in Psychiatry: A Collection of Essays examines the role of women in psychiatry and shares some of their key contributions to the specialty. Presented as a collection of thoughts, opinions, and experiences of women doctors specializing in modern day psychiatry, this book is intended to be accessible to all readers interested in the mind, mental health services, and women's roles in medicine. Interspersed between these essays are short biographical profiles of pioneering women who have contributed to psychiatry and mental health services. Women's Voices in Psychiatry: A Collection of Essays covers a diverse range of topics and aims to draw lessons from history, particularly about women's roles in UK psychiatry, and to make things better for psychiatrists of the future.