WORDS SALLY BROWN
Women have better access to education and career opportunities than ever, and advances in healthcare mean we can expect to live longer. There is also, finally, a growing awareness of gender inequality, and global campaigning to bring about change. But one crucial element we’re increasingly deprived of is peace of mind. Anxiety and depression affect one fifth of women – that’s 21.5 per cent, compared with 16.5 per cent of men. The Mental Health Foundation reports women are twice as likely to suffer from an anxiety disorder, while a Government survey found that one in five women has mental health problems.