From vulnerability to agency: The management and medicalization of mental health in women and men

In many instances, the medical approach to mental health issues remains a top-down process where patients are expected to act as purely passive agents. Yet, it is vital to recognize the agency individuals display in the medicalization of mental distress, from experiencing emotional suffering to becoming mental health patients engaged in their treatment. This qualitative study aims to describe the various forms of agency that men and women deploy to actively manage their emotional distress. Findings suggest a central role of agency in the entire process, revealing significant gender differences in recognizing and externalizing mental distress, deciding to seek medical help, managing of mental health diagnosis and psychotropic prescription, and the changes in patients´ subjective experience and social contexts. Highlighting these aspects, the study discusses the need for a nuanced and broader understanding of agency within the mental health field.