Abstract
It is usually observed that there exists a gender gap regarding the rate of depression. Research has proved that depression occurs more in women as compared to the men. There are a lot of biological, cultural and social factors that are responsible for this difference. The following article has discussed the role of different biological and sociocultural factors in depression in women.
Women And Depression Understanding The Gender Gap
1- Introduction
“Anxiety and depression are the co-occurring disorders. However, in its rates of comorbidity, there exists a gender difference. Its diagnosis is associated with somatic complaints and is found to affect every person in the community in the five (Comer, 2015). The gender difference is correlated with depression as they interact with the social determinants. In women, the strain occurs due to the stressful events in life and their consequences due to differential sensitivity to these developments (Comer, 2015). In general, it is considered that women are more vulnerable to adverse events in life in comparison to men. The following research paper will address the fact that why women have more depression. It has also discussed what factors are involved in this gender gap.”
2- Discussion
“The rate of depression diagnosis in women is almost twice in comparison to the men. At any age, this depression can occur (Hosseinpoor et al., 2012). Some of the biological factors and hormonal changes can be the cause of sad feelings, but alone these hormonal changes are not the cause of this depression (Hosseinpoor et al., 2012). There are some other genetic traits, circumstances of personal life and experiences that are related to the risks of higher depression. Some of these factors are described below.”
2.1- Biological Factors
There are a lot of primary biological factors that are responsible for the depression in the women. However, most of these factors either don’t occur in males or happen late, so that’s why the rate of depression in men is comparatively less. Some of these biological factors are as follows:
2.1.1- Puberty
“One of the main factors of depression in females is the hormonal changes that occur during puberty. There may be volatile mood swings that are related to the fluctuation of the hormones that occur during puberty, which is normal. This factor alone is not responsible for depression. There are some other factors that are associated with it, which include identity issues and emerging sexuality, clashes with the parents, etc. However, after puberty, the rates of depression in females are higher compared to males (Needham & Hill, 2010). The reason behind the fact is that girls reach puberty before the girls, and this gender gap exists till menopause.”
2.1.2- Premenstrual Problems
“Another factor is the premenstrual problems. In most females, premenstrual syndrome leads to tenderness of breasts, bloating in the abdomen, irritability, and anxiety (Needham & Hill, 2010). There isn’t any specific interaction between the PMS and depression, but there is a possibility of the changes in the hormones like progesterone and estrogen that are responsible for the chemical variations in the brain and control the mood.”
2.1.3- Pregnancy
“Pregnancy is the one big reason for depression in females. During pregnancy, some dramatic changes occur that can affect the mood and may cause depression (Needham & Hill, 2010). However, these biological and hormonal changes, except for puberty, don’t occur in males. The next section described the different social and cultural factors responsible for depression in females.”
2.2- Cultural And Social Factors
“Alone, the biological factors are not the cause of depression in the women. There are different life situations and stressors related to the culture that play this role, too. Although these stressors also happen to men, their rate is lower than that of women (Hosseinpoor et al., 2012). These risks include the following factors:”
2.2.1- Unequal Status
“One important Scio cultural factor is a different status. Most women are much more likely to live in the situation of poverty in comparison to men. The limited earnings and the little potential lead them towards stress and uncertain concerns about their future (Hosseinpoor et al., 2012). However, they also have to face the discrimination in society that affects their self-esteem and increases the risks of depression.”
2.2.2- Workload
“Another factor is the workload that they have to suffer in the case of working women and single parents (Hosseinpoor et al., 2012). These kinds of loads usually make them more vulnerable to depression.”
Conclusion
“From the above discussion, it can be concluded that many biological and social factors influence the role of women in society. The expectations that are related to these factors may lead to the risks of depression. In comparison to females, they usually have the ability to cater to these tough situations and remain reluctant to the symptoms of stress. That’s why is gender gap exists.”
References
Comer, R. (2015). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (8th ed.). Worth Publishers, ISBN 13: 9781464176975.
Hosseinpoor, A., Stewart Williams, J., Amin, A., Araujo de Carvalho, I., Beard, J., & Boerma, T.
Et al. (2012). Social Determinants of Self-Reported Health in Women and Men: Understanding the Role of Gender in Population Health. PLoS ONE, 7(4), e34799.
Needham, B., & Hill, T. (2010). Do gender differences in mental health contribute to gender Differences in physical health?. Social Science & Medicine, 71(8), 1472-1479.
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