Psychotropics, sociology and women: are the ‘halcyon days’ of the ‘malestream’ over?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to lay the foundation for the development of a gender‐sensitive perspective on psychotropic drug use. This paper reviews existing research on psychotropic drug use and highlights gender biases in three ways. First, a review of the early work on gender differences in tranquilliser use reveals how ‘one‐dimensional’ accounts are offered by proponents who are either ‘no‐objections’, ‘cautious‐no‐ answer’, ‘women's‐role’ or ‘political’ advocates. Second, with special reference to women, a critical review of the two predominant discourses, the medical and the sociological, are outlined. It is argued that they have a common approach that makes women's drug use invisible. The paper concludes that the approach prevailing in current research is individualistic and gender blind and needs to be complemented with an analysis that problematises gender. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved