Researchers have known for years that women are about twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression as men, with depression being the leading cause of disease burden among women.
The fact that increased prevalence of depression correlates with hormonal changes in women, particularly during puberty, prior to menstruation, following pregnancy and at perimenopause, suggests that female hormonal fluctuations may be a trigger for depression.
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with depression. Depression can occur at any age. Some mood changes and depressed feelings occur with normal hormonal changes. But hormonal changes alone don't cause depression.
Women are diagnosed with depression more often than men, but men can also be depressed. Because men may be less likely to recognize, talk about, and seek help for their feelings or emotional problems, they are at greater risk of depression symptoms being undiagnosed or undertreated.
Although clinically depressed women generally endorse higher levels of depression than men,[4 ,5 ,6] review of data from large epidemiological studies found that the prevalence of somatic depression, but not pure depression, distinguished women from men.
Men tend to score higher than women in areas of assertiveness, stress tolerance and self-regard (or confidence). Recent research exploring emotional intelligence suggests these differences may play a role in the leadership gender gap.
Overall women have it harder than men. Women go through many different changes with their bodies that impact them on a daily basis. Although there may be arguments that men have it hard, women definitely have it harder.
But why are women more likely to experience anxiety than men? It could be because of differences in brain chemistry and hormone fluctuations. Reproductive events across a woman's life are associated with hormonal changes, which have been linked to anxiety.
These stigmas are real and deeply affect men as nearly 1 in 10 men experience depression or anxiety but less than half will receive treatment and more than 4 times as many men as women die by suicide every year1.
Today, women are three times more likely than men to experience common mental health problems. In 1993, they were twice as likely. Rates of self-harm among young women have tripled since 1993. Women are more than three times as likely to experience eating disorders than men.
For example, depression is more common among women than men. The median age of onset for depression is 32 years, meaning that half of people who will ever have a depressive episode will have had their first episode by this age.
Women are more likely to have depression than men. An estimated 3.8% of the population experience depression, including 5% of adults (4% among men and 6% among women), and 5.7% of adults older than 60 years. Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression (1).
According to new CDC data [9.8 MB, 89 pages] released today, nearly 3 in 5 (57%) U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021—double that of boys, representing a nearly 60% increase and the highest level reported over the past decade.
Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and the prevalence of anxiety disorders is significantly higher for women (23.4 percent) than men (14.3 percent).
It isn't clear why men and women may experience depression differently. It likely involves a number of factors, including brain chemistry, hormones and life experiences. Like women with depression, men with depression may: Feel sad, hopeless or empty.
It can make you feel sad, irritable or empty and lose pleasure or interest in things you usually enjoy. Depression affects 1 in 8 men at some point in their lives. Men are more likely to be aware of the physical aspects of depression, such as feeling tired or losing weight, rather than changes in how they feel.
Seeking help may be viewed as a “weakness,” leading men to be hesitant about seeking psychiatric help. Difficulty expressing emotions. Men may struggle to verbalize their feelings or share them with others, coupled with the ingrained belief that they should “man up” and deal with it themselves.
That said, gender can be a significant factor in the way one's mental health is developed and formed. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), women are 1.5-3 more likely to suffer from depression.
In their lifetimes, about one in five Australians will experience depression. Around the world, depression affects around 300 million people.
The prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorders among men and women is almost equal, but women tend to have an earlier onset and more obsessions related to food and weight than men. Schizophrenia affects women more favorably than men. Women have a later onset, fewer symptoms and a better response to treatment.
Gender is correlated with the prevalence of certain mental disorders, including depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with major depression, while men are more likely to be diagnosed with substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder.
Young and Midlife Adults
The average age of onset for major depressive disorder is between 35 and 40 years of age. Onset in early adulthood may be linked with more depressive episodes, a longer duration of illness, and therefore a more difficult clinical course.
It is now recognized that there are no significant sex differences in general intelligence, though particular subtypes of intelligence vary somewhat between sexes. While some test batteries show slightly greater intelligence in males, others show slightly greater intelligence in females.
The onset of adolescence, generally between 12 and 14, is the hardest age for a teenage girl. The hormones of puberty cause her to feel her emotions more intensely but she has not yet developed the reasoning skills to know how to handle them.
This is backed up by Marissa Harrison, a psychologist from Pennsylvania State University who thinks that women are much more cautious when it comes to love, while men tend to fall in love harder and faster. Studies show that a man's requirements to fall in love are significantly less stringent than those of a woman.