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There are more than 50 million Americans who suffer from mental illness, and if you're one of them you're not alone. Women are most likely to suffer from certain mental illnesses than men.
The SAMHSA estimates that aproximately 23.8% of American women have experienced a diagnosable mental health disorder. Depression and anxiety are more common in women, and also there are some specific disorders that are unique to women.
A select number of women can experience symptoms of mental disorders during times of hormone change, such as premenstrual dyshpoic disorder, perimenopause related depression, and perinatal depression.
However research studies have not found differences in the rate of which men and women experience symptoms of schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder. There is stil much to learn when it comes to mental illnesses and how certain ones affect each sex differently. Researchers are just begining to pick apart the biological and psychosocial factors in both.
Some mental illnesses occur more often in women and can play a significant role in the state of a women's overall health and well being. Men experience higher rates of schizophrenia, antisocial disorder, alcholism, and autism.
Mental health conditons that are found more common in women include:
Some symptoms of mental disorders can be experienced differently for men and women, but both can develop most of the same mental disorders.
Some symptoms can include but are not limited to:
Even though gender roles have seen a shift in our culture, women taking on more powerful careers and men staying home to take care of the house. There is still a big amount of stress on women which can lead to depression and often times panic attacks and anxiety related symptoms.
Also there is frequent negatve sexualization of women which can cause problems with developing healthy self-esteem and self-image. These factors can without a doubt lead to unhealthy self-image and also shame, depression, anxiety, and stress.
Violence and sexual abuse among women is another very important and overlooked factor that can cause a number of problems and mental illnesses to arise. As reported, 1 in 5 women has been a victim of rape and/or attempted rape. And women are more likely to be victims of sexual abuse at an early age.
Women face challenges when it comes to socio-economics, power, status, position, and dependence, which contributes to depression and other disorders. Women are still primary caregivers of children, and they also provide 80% of all caregiving for ill elders, which too can add stress to women's lives.
Women are more prone to report mental health disturbances than men and doctors are more proned to diagnose a woman with depression and to treat the condition with mood-altering drugs. And women are more likely to report mental health problems to a general practitioner, while men discuss them with a mental health specialist.
Female hormonal fluctuations are known to play a role in mood and depression. Estrogen can have positive effects on the brain, which protects against some aspects of Alzheimer's. The less positive side is that women tend to produce less serotonin than men.
Research changes on a dime, and we may one day find something explaining why women have higher rates of reported mental illness. But for now, it looks like a number of factors in complex ways to make a woman more vulnerable to mental illness.
I had no idea women were twice as likely to experience anxiety disorders. My sister has been struggling with panic attacks and this helps me understand her situation better.
The hormone connection is fascinating. I've definitely noticed my anxiety gets worse during certain times of my cycle.
I think it's important to recognize that while women report mental health issues more often, many men might be suffering silently due to stigma.
As someone working in healthcare, I see this gender disparity firsthand. Women are more likely to seek help, which is both good and bad - good for getting treatment but maybe shows how we over-diagnose women.
The statistic about women being primary caregivers for ill elders really struck me. No wonder we're seeing higher rates of anxiety and depression!
Actually, I disagree about over-diagnosis. If anything, women's mental health concerns have been historically dismissed as just being 'emotional'.
The part about serotonin production differences between men and women is really interesting. I wonder if this affects how medications work differently for each gender?
Reading this made me think about my mom. She juggled work, kids, and caring for my grandparents, and now I understand why she was always so stressed.
Interesting that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia rates are similar between genders. I would have thought there'd be a difference there too.
The violence and sexual abuse statistics are heartbreaking. It's no wonder these experiences lead to lasting mental health impacts.
I can relate to the cultural pressure part. Trying to be perfect at work and home while maintaining a certain image is exhausting.
Just because research shows women report mental health issues more doesn't necessarily mean they experience them more. We need to consider reporting bias.
The eating disorder statistics are shocking. 85% of anorexia and bulimia cases being women really shows how much society's beauty standards affect us.
My husband and I switched traditional roles - I work, he stays home. Yet I still feel this weird societal pressure to do it all.
I found it interesting that doctors are more likely to prescribe mood-altering drugs to women. Makes me wonder if we're getting the right treatment.
Something not mentioned is how social media affects women's mental health differently than men's. That would be an interesting addition to this research.
This article really opened my eyes to how hormonal changes throughout life can impact mental health. Wish I'd known this earlier.