Depression in Men Vs. Women

Depression is a mental disorder that causes feelings of sadness, worthlessness, or even suicidal thoughts in those that suffer from it. For years, depression has been perceived and portrayed as a "woman's disease," partially because men are more likely to minimize the symptoms they are experiencing. Although men generally experience fewer symptoms of depression simultaneously than women do, depression does affect a large number of men.

Risk Level

• Boys and girls under the age of 13 are equally likely to develop depression. However, after this age women are much more likely to become depressed, partly due to the extreme hormonal reactions that occur during and after pregnancy and during menopause.

Diagnosis

• In order to be formally diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, men and women must experience a depressed mood or inability to feel pleasure for at least two weeks and also experience five of the following symptoms: either insomnia or excessive sleep, significant weight gain or loss, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, and difficulty concentrating.

Prevalence

• Depression affects nearly ten percent of the population of American adults, and women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression.

Common Causes

• Both men and women are more likely to develop depression during times of financial crisis, marital problems, severe injury and/or ongoing pain, or after the death of a close friend or family member.

Considerations

• Women are much more likely than men to experience a first episode of depression. When this first episode has occurred, it is very likely that the sufferer will experience recurring episodes.

Treatment

• There are many medications to treat depression, and these are usually coupled with therapy. Exercise has been shown to alleviate some symptoms of depression and to help prevent relapse, due in part to the increase of endorphins that accompany physical activity.