There are several reasons for that.
It is widely reported that there is a difference in gender depression prevalences. Women are documented to be experiencing depression twice than men. The reports cuts across ethnicity and race.
According to WHO, gender plays a massive role in the depression prevalence in society. Research also shows that women are more affected by depression more than men.
The following are the top reason why there is a difference in depression level among women.
1. Women’s Hormonal Moods Fluctuation
Women between the age of 25 to 44 years are at the peak of their reproductive years. Women between this age are more affected by mood disorders. The disorders are associated with menstrual cycles. Female sex hormones and moods are also high at this age. The fluctuation of the hormonal moods increases the risk of depression among these women.
2. Reaction to Stressful Events
Women react differently to stressful events than men. Women tend to respond to every negative event that happens in their lives. On the other hand, men don’t take any adverse event to their minds. Minor negative events do not stress men as they do to women.
For example, adolescent girls report more negative events in their life than boys. Young girls share everything. They share about their peers, their parents, and everything else that is affecting their life. Boys don’t get stressed by these events. Only major negative events affect a man’s emotions.
3. Psychological Explanations
Women tend to think more about things than men. This is a good thing. However, as women overthink about simple events, they get stressed more than men.
In contrary, men process information very fast. They don’t think deeply on a matter. Not unless it is a matter that requires them to make a difficult decision.
Also, women invest much in relationships than men. When there are problems in relationships, women are more affected than men. As a result, women get depressed when relationships do not work.
For example, a lady will be depressed when a marriage or relationship breaks. The effect of the breakup is not felt with the same magnitude as men perceive it.
This explains why it’s challenging to reconcile women who had an issue in their relationship. With men, it’s easy to forget and embrace change when things do not work out. Men will disagree in one matter but still stick together as nothing happened.
4. Sociocultural Factors
Women are expected to handle more pressure than men. They are expected to maintain a home, take care of their husbands, bear and bring up children, put up with sexism, and help a man in his life.
On the contrary, men are not expected to bear such amount of pressure by society. The societal expectation is among the contributing factor to depression prevalence in women as compared to men.
Culturally, women live longer than men. Depression associated with loneliness, grief, precarity and poor physical health affects them at old age. This is also a reason why there are more cases of depression recorded among women as compared to men.
5. Postpartum Depression
Many new mothers find themselves angry, irritable, sad, and crying soon after giving birth. The feelings sometimes are known as baby blues. The feelings last for a week or two. Check the following signs if you have a new mother around you.
- Crying more often
- Suicidal thoughts
- Feeling numb or anxiety
- Low self-esteem
6. Perimenopause and menopause
Depression risk is high in women during their transition to menopause. During this transition, hormone level fluctuates erratically.
Women are also emotional during this stage. They get stressed easily by life events. If not well taken care of, they are affected by depression.
Final Words
Depression is not a common mental health problem only in women. Men are also affected by depression. In fact, some scholars argue that depression is recorded to be more prevalent in women because they seek help more than men.
Look after everyone around you. Let’s work together as a society and relieve the pain of depression.
