ABSTRACT
Women’s madness is a subject that has fascinated artists, poets, playwrights and novelists for centuries. Representations of woman as mad, ranging from the dangerous harridan in the attic, to the melancholic maiden languishing helplessly on her bed, all stand as reminders of the potential danger or vulnerability lurking beneath the mask of beauty that otherwise signifies ‘woman’. However, making madness synonymous with femininity isn’t merely a matter of misogynistic fantasy or fear. Mental health statistics which record the number of individuals diagnosed or treated for the myriad disorders of the mind which are deemed worthy of statutory regulation attest to the preponderance of women deemed mad. 2 Prior to puberty, boys may be represented in significantly greater numbers (by a factor of approximately 4:1) in the whole gamut of psychological or behavioural problems experienced by children. However, after puberty the situation is reversed, so estimates of the ratio of women to men suffering from disorders such as depression or anxiety range from 6:1 to 5:3. Community surveys, hospital admissions and statistics on outpatient treatment (both medical and psychological) all concur: women report more mental health problems than men, and are more likely to be diagnosed and treated for madness (Bebbington, 1996; Busfield, 1996; Stoppard, 2000; World Health Organisation, 2003).
