Exploring women’s experiences of an inpatient mental health rehabilitation service.

Why you should read this article: • To recognise that many women who receive inpatient mental healthcare have negative experiences • To update your knowledge of the importance of gender-sensitive and trauma-informed inpatient mental health services for women • To understand women’s experiences of care and support in an NHS mental health rehabilitation service. The importance of providing women who experience mental health issues with gender-sensitive and trauma-informed care has been emphasised in research and policy. However, the literature highlights that many women who receive inpatient mental healthcare have negative experiences including restrictive interventions, feeling coerced to take medicines, lack of empathy and re-traumatisation. It is important to continue exploring women’s experiences in inpatient mental health services to determine to what extent the care offered is gender-sensitive and trauma-informed. This article reports on a service evaluation conducted in 2023 at one mental health rehabilitation service in England to explore the experiences of female service users. Six women were interviewed and the data obtained were analysed thematically. Most participants reported positive experiences of the service but there were areas where care could be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]