Depression and its Factors Between Genders Alex Urdanoff

Thesis  Although stereotypes and gender roles may have influenced views on how depression affect men and women, there actually are very different ways that both experience depression because of biological and social factors.

Stereotypes  Depressed Woman. Depressed man?  Study in PLoS Journal determined these stereotypes influence our view on these mental illnesses

Differences in Brain Structure  Men’s brains wired more between front and back.  Women’s brains wired more between the left and right.

Differences in Brain Structure 2 Neural Scan of Male Brain

Differences in Brain Structure 3 Neural Scan of Female Brain

Differences in Brain Structure 4  Male brains wired more for perception and for coordinated actions.  Female brains wired for memory and social skills.

Depression  Women might be more likely to report depression  Gender differences emerge in puberty  Oxytocin and Vasopressin

Depression Treatments  Interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive-behavior therapy  Tricyclic antidepressants and Monoamine oxidase inhibitors  Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Hormone-Based Depression in Women  Rapid-Cycling Affective Illness  Post-Partum Depression  Premenstrual Depression

Stigma  Gender roles are damaging to both genders  Representation of women in statistics  Diseases have been defined by how women experience them

Stigma 2  Men have been underrepresented in psychiatric statistics.  Higher rates of suicide in men.

Symptoms  Women appear to be more emotional  Men seem to be less so

Sources Frank, Ellen. Ed. Gender and Its Effects on Psychopathology. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc Print. Gardner, Amanda. “How Gender Stereotypes Warps Our View of Depression”. Time. 15 November Web. 31 March Prior, Pauline M. Gender and Mental Health. New York: New York University Press Print. Sample, Ian. “Male and female brains wired differently, scans reveal”. The Guardian. 2 December Web. 31 March Schimelpfening, Nancy. “Is There a Difference Between Male and Female Depression Symptoms”. About.com Depression. About.com. 1 September, Web. 9 April 2014.