On March 18, 2024, President Biden issued an executive order that will integrate women’s health across the federal research portfolio, prioritize investments in women’s health research, and spark new research on women’s midlife health. APA Services is working with the White House and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to ensure psychological science is well represented. In January 2024, APA Services and Division 38 (Society for Health Psychologyopens in new window) submitted feedback to the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research (PDF, 133KB)opens in new window, chaired by APA member Carolyn Mazure, PhD, and has since met with Vivian Ota Wang, PhD, psychologist and deputy director of the Office of Women’s Health Research at NIH. APA has also submitted feedback to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for their assessment on women’s health research at NIH.
There are innumerable gaps in women’s health research that have led to disparities in health outcomes. Major depressive disorder affects women twice as often as men; 1 in 5 women develop a major depressive disorder in their lifetime. Women also have higher rates of other mental health issues than men do, including anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders. Even though 1 million people experience menopause each year, little is known about the health effects of this natural biological occurrence.
Progress is already being made. The National Institute of Mental Health and other institutes within NIH recently highlighted gender differences in mental health and the greater burden women face from several types of mental illness. Throughout NIH, there is also an increased focus on eliminating the disparities in maternal health, and researchers at the National Institute on Aging are working to better understand what causes menopause symptoms.
In the last few months, several federal agencies have committed to integrating women’s health into their agendas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding training and public health surveillance in women’s health to OB-GYNs, nurses and advanced practice nurses, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are ensuring new medical devices are safe for women before being covered by Medicare. The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are launching a new Women’s Health Research Collaborative to improve health outcomes for women veterans and servicewomen, and the National Science Foundation is calling for new research and education proposals related to women’s health.
APA Services will continue to work with the White House, federal agencies, Congress, and stakeholders to advocate for psychological science funding in women’s health research and will share relevant information about calls for research applications with APA members.
For more information, contact Krysta Jones.