A man could never do what women can do: Mental health care and the significance of gender

Figures & data

Table 1 Data from six focus group interviews with 26 participants and 23 individual interviews, listing the participants’ gender, profession, and institutional affiliation (n = 49 participants)

MENTAL HEALTH CARE WORKERS			LEADERS
Focus Groups	Individual interview	Institution	Focus Groups	Individual interview	Institution
5 women (nurses)	3 women (nurses, social worker)	District psychiatric center	2 women 1 man (nurse, social workers)		District psychiatric center
3 women, 2 men (nurses, social workers, social pedagogues)	4 women, 3 men (nurses, social educators)	Municipal psychiatric service	3 women (nurses)	2 women (nurses)	Municipal psychiatric service
7 men* (nurses, social workers, social pedagogues)	5 women, 4 men (nurses, social workers, social pedagogues)	Four different departments in one psychiatric institution	3 women (nurses)	2 women (nurses)	Three different district psychiatric center

Notes:

* One man is missing after the first focus group interview.

Table 2 Women’s and men’s perceptions of strengths and weaknesses of their own gender in mental health care (n = 49 participants)

Main theme	Sub-theme	Categories
Perceptions of strengths and weaknesses among mental health workers	Women health care workers perceptions of their own strengths in mental health work	Have a greater quality for caring
		Are good listeners
		Are engaged in patients’ feelings
		Are patient
		Are partly aware of their limitations
		Are aware of patients’ resources
	Women health care workers perceptions of their own weaknesses	Inclined to take on too much responsibility
		Decreased ability to solve specific
		Are inclined to feel responsible for sexual offences
		Inclined to overextend themselves
	Men health care workers perceptions of their own strengths in mental health work	Strength to be a man
		Are able to understand patients’ feelings
		Openness about what may constitute problems
		Have a mobilizing attitude
		Conscious of not feeling responsible for sexual offences
	Men health care workers perceptions of their own weaknesses	Are often too emotionally reserved
		Are often too withdrawn
		Are often too objective
		Reveal feelings of sympathy and empathy
		Sometimes it is problematic to be a man

Table 3 Women’s and men’s perceptions of strengths and weaknesses regarding the opposite gender (n = 49 participants)

Main theme	Sub-theme	Categories
Perceptions of strengths and weaknesses regarding the opposite gender	Women’s perceptions of strengths regarding the opposite gender	Men are physically strong
		There could be a biological difference
		They have an orientation towards strong action
		They are less preoccupied with details
	Women’s perceptions of weaknesses regarding the opposite gender	Too few are recruited to the profession
		They seldom speak about feelings
		They are less preoccupied with details
		They are inclined to leave their “mess” behind
	Men’s perceptions of strength regarding the opposite gender	They are more willing to offer care
		They are skilful in small talk
		They are good listeners
		They offer intimacy that is not threatening
		They embrace a broader perspective on caring
	Men’s perceptions of weaknesses regarding the opposite gender	They may have a too broad perspective on caring
		They seem to take on too much responsibility
		They sometimes suffocate with their care
		Their caring can be painstaking and protective