Book excerpt: Women outnumber men as consumers of health care in the United States: they visit doctors more often, fill more prescriptions, undergo more surgeries, occupy more hospital beds, and spend more money on health care than men. Yet it wasn't until the past decade that active trials in gender-specific aspects of mental health began leading us to a better understanding of the psychiatric disorders to which women are vulnerable. Distilling the findings of this research into practical information about the assessment and management of psychiatric conditions specific to women, this Second Edition (updated from 1997) expands upon the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that influence women's mental health, with particular emphasis on reproductive points in the female life cycle-and the ways in which these factors are integral to gender-sensitive case formulations, diagnoses, and treatment planning. Updates in the second edition include the latest findings about premenstrual dysphoric disorder, the use of psychiatric medications in pregnant and breast-feeding women, perinatal loss, surgical menopause, eating disorders, sexual trauma, seasonal affective disorder, sleep disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Complementing lengthier psychiatric references, this latest "Concise Guide" offers enduring value in a convenient pocket-size format with extensive tables and illustrations. Its wealth of practical information, highlighted by material from the authors' clinical experiences, makes it a must-read for psychiatrists, psychiatry residents, and medical students working in various treatment settings, from inpatient psychiatry units and outpatient clinics toconsultation-liaison services and private offices.