Cultural perspectives on the impact of women's changing roles on psychiatry

The author examines sex role stereotypes in the United States and their impact on the self-concept of women. She suggests that the fact that women's roles are changing may have a positive impact on general mental health because both men and women will profit from increased flexibility ingender role specifications. She emphasizes the fact that therapists as well as their patients have been socialized into accepting the values and assumptions of our society; there is thus a high probability that not only the presenting complaints but also the treatment goals for women in therapy are culturally determined.