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Chapter 12: Mental Health

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DOI:

10.1891/9780826190048.0012

Authors

  • Houck, Gail M.

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the post adolescent development of identity and relatedness or self in relation to others. It describes the normative developmental phases of emerging adulthood, young adulthood, midlife, and older adulthood for women, including the salient issues and how those may be typically experienced. The chapter considers a psychosocial developmental perspective on women’s mental health. A mentally healthy woman has an openness to experience and less traditional gender ideology and expectations, which contributes to self-efficacy and well-being in the context of developmental transitions. The parent-child relationship is conceptualized as a bidirectional and transactional system of influence; in other words, the parent influences the child and the child influences the parent. Generativity is perhaps a transaction between individuals and their socio-cultural environment. The life journey necessitates psychosocial development, and this is the context in which women’s health care clinicians meet women and provide care.