Women’s Mental Health Research Program

Overview

Mental illnesses contribute substantially to the global burden of disability, particularly for women. Depression and anxiety are among the leading causes of disability for women worldwide.

Women often experience mental illnesses differently than men—certain symptoms may be more common in women than men, or the course of an illness can be affected by the sex of the individual. Some women may also struggle with mental illness at times of hormone change, such as perinatal depression, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and perimenopause-related depression.

NIMH and the Women’s Mental Health Team recognize the importance of supporting basic, translational, clinical, and services research to enhance women’s mental health.

The purpose of the Women’s Mental Health Team is to:

• Advance NIMH-sponsored discovery science and research training in the areas of psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience to better understand and treat mental disorders
• Promote the emotional well-being of women throughout the lifespan, with a particular focus on sex and gender-related research that explores the pivotal life stages for brain health, such as birth, puberty, pregnancy, reproductive years, menopause, and aging

Priority areas

The Women’s Mental Health Program:

• Coordinates with the NIMH scientific divisions to promote research on women’s mental health and to encourage the examination of sex and gender differences in NIMH-funded research
• Works closely with the Office for Research on Women’s Health  and other National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes and Centers to facilitate joint funding opportunities
• Serves as a point of contact for topics related to women’s mental health
• Serves as a liaison to other federal agencies and external stakeholders on research issues relevant to women’s mental health

Funding opportunities and initiatives that support women’s mental health research

• NOT-MH-21-270: NIMH High-Priority Areas for Research on Women’s Mental Health During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period 
• NOT-MH-22-245: Notice of Information on High Priority Research Areas for Sex and Gender Influences on the Adolescent Brain and Mental Health of Girls and Young Women (Ages 12-24) 
• PAR-23-097: Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) 
• PAR-23-102: Mood and Psychosis Symptoms during the Menopause Transition (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) (nih.gov) 
• RFA-OD-22-028: The Intersection of Sex and Gender Influences on Health and Disease (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) (nih.gov) 
• NOT-OD-22-208: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Research on the Health of Women of Understudied, Underrepresented and Underreported (U3) Populations (Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional) 
• RFA-OD-22-014: Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences (U54 Clinical Trial Optional) 
• NOT-OD-23-031: Notice of Special Interest: Administrative Supplements to Promote Research Continuity and Retention of NIH Mentored Career Development (K) Award Recipients and Scholars 
• NOT-OD-23-032: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Administrative Supplement for Continuity of Biomedical and Behavioral Research Among First-Time Recipients of NIH Research Project Grant Awards 
• PAR-24-059: Understanding the Impact of Healthcare System and Clinician Factors on Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality (R01 - Clinical Trial Optional) 

Additional resources

• Office of Research on Women’s Mental Health 
• NIMH’s Women’s Mental Health Webpage
• NIMH Publications about Women’s Mental Health

Program director

Tamara Lewis Johnson, M.P.H., MBA
Women’s Mental Health Research Program
Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity
301-594-7963
tamara.lewisjohnson@nih.gov