Psychological issues affecting women throughout the life cycle

Throughout life, some psychological issues facing women are shared with men, and some are unique to women. This article compares the traditional life cycle perspective with the complementary perspective of different lines of development that characterize women's lives. Traditionally, there was a concept, especially of the woman's life cycle, linking growth and reproduction to expected work, social status, and sources of self-esteem. Today, there is no single life cycle for women, but rather a number of predictable areas of growth and development. The article will explore the biologic-reproductive life cycle, the family-marital life cycle, and the educational-vocational life cycle, from before birth to old age. It will also review psychological problems most common at each stage, and it will discuss how societal changes in expectations of women may be changing women's growth and development today.