Gender Differences In Depression

Although depression can affect anyone, it has been reported that women are almost twice as likely as men to suffer from depression (Nolen 2001). Interestingly, this gender difference in depression only holds true for girls in late adolescence and beyond. Girls and boys have similar depression rates during childhood, but the depression rate for girls increases dramatically around age thirteen (Nolen 2001). There are many factors that contribute to the gender differences in depression.
One important factor is social roles. Women face certain demands because of their position in society. These demands include marriage, childcare, and employment (Van de Velde 2010). The chronic strain that results from these demands can lead to higher depression rates in women (Nolen 2001). Women are often responsible for taking care of the home and children in a family. This means that women may not have as much time to work a full time job or that they have additional
This can make women more likely to experience victimization such as sexual assault. In fact, women are victims of sexual assault at least twice as often as men, and this can also contribute to depression (Nolen 2001). Sexual assault during childhood is actually more strongly related to gender differences in depression than sexual assault during adulthood. It is possible that up to 35 % of adult depression gender differences are a result of this higher sexual assault rate for girls (Nolen 2001). The reason for the link between childhood sexual assault and depression in adulthood is that this kind of abuse affects response to stress in a negative manner (Nolen 2001). There are multiple ways by which such traumatic childhood experiences influence depression later in life. Examples include biological mechanisms, low self-esteem and problems with coping, and lack of social support (Piccinelli and Wilkinson