Depression and Gender

For reasons that are not well understood, two-thirds of all people who suffer from depression are women. Researchers have proposed biological, psychological and social explanations for this fact. The biological explanation is based on the observation that women appear to be at increased risk for depression when their hormone levels change significantly, because during the premenstrual period, the post-childbirth period and the onset of menopause.

Men’s hormone levels appear to be more stable throughout life. Investigators, therefore, theorized that women are inherently at risk for depression. However, evidence to support this theory is quite contrary or inconsistent.

Although teenagers and adult women were found in depression experienced twice the rate of men, the school population appears to represent a notable exception, with equal rates experienced by men and women. Why? Several theories have been suggested for this anomaly.

Social institutions of the university campus so more egalitarian sex role the condition of men and women.

College women have fewer adverse events than women in high school.

College men report more than secondary school negative events.

College women report youngest and social support networks.

Depression is often preceded by a stressful event. Some psychologists, therefore, the theory that women could be lower than men and stress are therefore more likely to become depressed. However, women do not report an increased occurrence of more stressful events than men.

Finally, researchers have observed gender differences in coping strategies, or response to certain events or stimuli, and have proposed the explanation that strategies put women at greater risk for depression than men strategies. It comes with a list of things that people do when depressed, college students were asked to indicate how likely they were to engage in the behavior described in each item in the list. Men were more likely to state that help thinking why I’m depressed, do something physical, or I play sports. Women are more likely to state that deal to determine why I’m depressed 1 , I talk to other people about my feelings, and I cry to relieve the tension. In other words, the men tried to distract themselves from a depressed mood while women They tend to focus on it. If you focus in depressed feelings intensifies these feelings, the women’s response style may make it more likely than men to become clinically depressed. This hypothesis has not been tested directly, but some signs point to support its validity.