Prevalence of Depression in Women: Gender-Based Analysis

Running head: DEPRESSION
DEPRESSION
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DEPRESSION
Introduction:
Depression is a common but serious mental health condition which impacts not only the
feelings of the affected individual in a negative manner but also the ways they think and act. This
disorder accompanies the feelings of sadness and loss if interests and pleasures in activities
which were enjoyed earlier (McMohan et al., 2015). This disorder even results in various forms
of physical as well as emotional problems that reduce the ability of the individuals to function
properly in both professional and personal lives. The present day studies and researches have
provided detailed information about the prevalence of the depression in the nation along with the
opinion that gender indeed plays one of the determinants in the development of depression
(Woolhouse et al., 2015). This assignment would show how gender plays the contributing role of
development of depression. It would also propose a health promotion program that would help in
managing depression among the specific gender cohort effectively.
Prevalence of depression in a gender-based analysis:
Australia is found to be the second nation all over the globe with the highest number of
people suffering from depression with 5.9% of the people being affected. This number is just
after the nation of Ukraine that has the largest number of depressed population accounting for
about 6.3% in the nation. Researchers who have undertaken statistical analysis have shown that
about 1 in 7 people in the nation of Australia experience symptoms of depression throughout
their lifetime (Bruggman et al., 2017). One of the most noted data from this statistical analysis
had shown that prevalence of depression in women is twice to that of the number of men in the
nation. One of the factor that has been found by researchers to explain this difference is that
mood changes as well as depressed feelings are natural outcomes of the hormonal alterations

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DEPRESSION
which are more frequent in the women. However, changes in the hormones cannot necessarily be
one of the most important causes of depression. Biological factors along with different forms of
inherited traits and even personal life circumstances are found to develop depression in the
women.
Studies have found that one of the most important cohort of women who largely remain
exposed to the development of the risk of depression are those women who are in their first year
of the post partum stage (Shivappa et al., 2016). Researchers are of the opinion that women who
are in their months of pregnancy as well as those who are in the following year after giving birth
to their babies are often seen to develop depressive symptoms. It has been found that about 1 in
10 women in the first category and those 1 in 7 women in the later categories can be found to
suffer from depression respectively. This form of depression called the antenatal depression
often seems to accompany symptoms like that of the persistent and generalized concern as well
as the panic attacks about the development and well-being of the child (Williams et al., 2015).
Other symptoms are seen to include the abrupt mood swings, compulsive behaviors, low mood,
feelings of sadness, nervousness of the situation and many others. This is indeed one of the most
harmful and dangerous phases for the mothers as they are found to develop suicidal tendencies.
In such situations, it becomes extremely important to provide as much mental and physical
support to such mothers to help them overcome such depressive phase successfully.
Society can be held equally responsible for the development of depression among the
women. One of the most important contributing factors is the expectations set by the society
about the job roles and responsibilities set for males and females (Chang et al., 2017). The
expectations dictate women to be associated with the responsibilities of home-making with
serving their duties to the family members, spouse, children and others, attending to their needs,