`I Just Needed a Rest': Women's Experiences of Psychiatric Hospitalization

This research explored the experiences of 27 women who had been hospitalized in psychiatric units in southern New Brunswick Canada. The women's accounts of their experiences of hospital admission, treatment and discharge are described. Hospitalization provided the women with a respite from burdensome family responsibilities and unsatisfactory relationships in a safe, protected environment. However, this asylum aspect of hospitalization was contrasted with the powerlessness experienced by the women because of their lack of control over decisions made about their admission, treatment and discharge. In conclusion, it is argued that strategies for the improvement of mental health care for women should be grounded in an understanding of women's experiences.