Four pillars are critical to a woman's overall health. Here's the one we neglect

Discussions today around women's health tend to focus on physical well-being and access to medical care. But something important is missing from the conversation.

Over the last two decades, a significant decline in spirituality – both in the United States and around the world – has created a crisis threatening women’s ability to achieve optimal health. Despite overwhelming evidence that we ought to take spiritual health seriously, we largely do not. Similar to the way we once discounted the importance of mental health, we give little weight to our spiritual lives. Valerie Huber is the founder and president of the Institute for Women’s Health. She previously served as the U.S. Special Representative for Global Women’s Health. Follow her on Twitter @ValerieHuber20 and @IWH4women.

Over the last two decades, a significant decline in spirituality – both in the United States and around the world – has created a crisis threatening women’s ability to achieve optimal health. To solve the declining spirituality crisis, we must first raise awareness about the importance of one’s spiritual life and the negative effects of its lack.