Women in Clinical Practice and Research: Closing Gaps in Psychological Care for Women

This Research Topic, coinciding with International Women’s Day 2026 earlier this year, welcomes and celebrates contributions from women, including those identifying as women, working in clinical psychology and practice. It has a dual aim: to amplify women-led clinical research, and to examine the gender disparities that persist in both research representation and clinical practice.​Women represent over 60% of researchers entering psychology, yet only about a third reach full professorships. Recent evidence shows women experience higher academic attrition than men, particularly early-career, driven by structural barriers rather than differences in performance. In parallel, a “gender health gap” means women patients face diagnostic delays, misdiagnosis, and biased treatment in clinical settings. When women are underrepresented as research leaders, the clinical research agenda may not fully reflect women’s needs.The collection encourages research contributions where the lead and/or corresponding author self-identifies as a woman, and recommends that early-career researchers collaborate with senior women colleagues. It may also consider contributions from researchers who may fall outside of this criteria, provided their manuscript idea strongly aligns with the scope and aims below. To advance understanding of these issues, the topic welcomes theoretical, empirical, methodological, and applied contributions on (including, but not limited to) the following themes of interest:Celebrating Women’s Clinical Research• Research led by women advancing psychotherapy, neuropsychology, rehabilitation, pain management, eHealth, VR/AI interventions and wider clinical approaches• Perspectives from women clinician-researchers on advances and future directions​ in clinical research• Contributions from women in underrepresented regions / non-WEIRD countries ​Gender Bias in Clinical Practice​​• Underdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, misdiagnosis, or delayed diagnosis of conditions in women​ affecting psychological wellbeing and health• Gendered assumptions influencing treatment decisions and the clinician–patient relationship​• Evidence-based strategies to mitigate bias (e.g., patient-centred approach, gender-aware assessment tools, cultural sensitivity training)​Structural Inequalities and Women’s Mental Health​​• How gender-based violence, caregiving, and discrimination affect women’s clinical outcomes​• Barriers to help-seeking and access needs to psychological services​• Research on significant life stages and psychological wellbeing (perinatal mental health, menopause, ageing)​ and intervention approaches• Psychological violence, languages and communications.• Institutional violence and revictimization.Gender Disparities in Research and Authorship​• Gender gaps in research and leadership in clinical psychology​• Investigating when and why women researchers leave academia, and what factors support retention and career progression​• Analyses of how the underrepresentation of women in senior research roles shapes the clinical research agenda​Guidelines and Innovations​• Gender equity guidelines for clinical psychology research and practice​• Gender-responsive adaptations of psychotherapy and digital interventions​• Policy recommendations for equitable psychology research environments Topic editors: Lisa Chiara Fellin, Carmela Mento Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79122/women-in-clinical-practice-and-research-closing-gaps-in-psychological-care-for-women