I think this research was done to try to help women with mental illnesses,
who may fall between the cracks because the only health care provider they
see is their ob/gyn -- doctors who traditionally have neither the training
nor the time or inclination to ask about other issues women may be having.
But since women may not be seeing any other doctors, it is important for
the ob/gyns to have a quick tool for assessing if they have any other
health needs (in this case mental health needs) that needs addressing.
Given the high rates of depression and eating disorders among women in the
US, I think this sounds like an excellent idea, especially when I think of
girls from say 14 to 24 who may be in excellent physical health, and
therefore not going to any other doctors, but who go to their ob/gyn yearly
for their Pap smear and birth control pills.  Eating disorders among young
women in the US are a huge problem -- as someone who spends her days with
18-22 year old women, I see and hear about it all the time.  If these girls
can get some help via their ob/gyn visits, it would be great.


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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email:
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Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352
http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/dettwyler.html

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