Women and Depression

Recent studies suggest women are twice as likely to have an episode of depression than are men. Various factors unique to women are suspected to contribute to depression in women, including:

• Developmental – Depression for women often begins in adolescence. Besides just the normal stresses of being an adolescent, other stresses such as forming an identity, confronting sexuality, separating from parents, and making decisions add to the mix. Depression often continues into adulthood where a lack of an intimate, confiding relationship, as well as marital disputes, have been shown to be related to depression in women. Studies show rates of depression are highest among unhappily married women. As women age and experience major life changes, such as physical ailments and widowhood, depression is once again more likely to affect women than men.
• Poverty – Low economic status and the many stresses that accompany this condition may contribute to depression among women.
• Reproductive Life Cycle – Significant events in a woman’s reproductive life cycle include menstruation, pregnancy, the post-pregnancy period, and menopause. These events bring changes in mood that for some women include depression.
• Victimization – It is known that more women than men are sexually abused as children. Studies show that women molested as children are more likely to have clinical depression at some time in their lives than those with no such history. Also, the incidence of depression is higher among women who were raped as adults. Women experiencing other forms of abuse, such as domestic violence and sexual harassment, may also depict higher rates of depression.