Depression in Women: Understanding the Causes and Treatment

Running head: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
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INTRODUCTION
There have been many discussions whether depression is actually based on gender. As
there have been many studies which has proven that depression actually affects women more
than it affects men. Some people disagree to this but most of them agree. This is not just a myth
or information that has been passed through generations but it is actually proven through much
research and it does involve many risk factors associated to it. Of course, the experience of
childhood and issues related to the initial stages of life affects depression in women but there are
also biological factors that come into play. According to researchers by using DSM-IV’s criteria
to measure the depressive disorder in both male and female, that is very much similar to that of
ICD-10 criteria for moderate level of depression or anxiety.
The total prevalence measured and the point prevalence is very much similar as the total
percentage is 15% and the point prevalence is around 5%. This kind of depression is very much
similar to that of chronic illness that is very hard to cure. The patient has to go through therapy to
get a stable lifestyle or else it because excessive problems like high anxiety and even suicidal
thoughts. It should also be noted that depression consists of the third highest global burden
related to diseases and it is especially high in countries like Canada or the United States.
According to many researchers, it has been stated that depression would actually be the leading
cause for diseases by the year 2030. For women all around the world, it has already reached the
leading cause (Sejbaek et al., 2015). At the moment, the ratio for male: female global disability
remains constant at 1.7: 1. In the year of 2010, it was recorded that women has 5.5% global
annual prevalence whereas men is at 3.2%. In North American countries like Canada or United
States, the gap is wider where women prevail at 5.0% and men is at 2.9%. Even two years later,

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in 2012 the numbers rose from 5.0 to 5.8% and 2.9 to 3.6% respectively (Van de Velde et al.,
2013).
There are many factors which has caused the high increase of depression in women, that
includes education and income, sexual harassments, abuse and many more. It is also recorded
that depression reaches its highest level in women in between the ages of 14 to 25 years,
however it is also been proven that this ratio of depression in women actually decrease with age.
By the time a woman or a man is 65 years old, the state of depression or anxiety isles than 1/4 th
of what it actually was during their teenage stages (Soriano-Maldonado et al., 2015). It is true
that during puberty, the state of depression reaches its peak, and it is around this time women
normally experience sexual harassments or even abuse. Before puberty, the level of depression is
very much similar.
DISCUSSION
The high rise in depression in the North American countries can also be determined
through the high consumption of anti-depressants and high level of medication for anxiety. As
per studies show, anti-depressants are suggested to women twice than that of men. This comes in
between the age of 14 to 25 years and the use of medication decreases from 45 years onwards.
The causes for depressions in women are very much different to that of men. There are
biological, psychological and socio-cultural explanations for this cause and it is very similar
when contrasted with women during their teenage years (Yang et al., 2015). It is related to the
hormonal level that is at its peak during the teenage years until quarter life period. Also for

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having strong and genetic predisposition as compared to men, it is a high cause for developing
depression.
According to Albert (2015), depression in women is caused for many reasons. The
symptoms are more or less very common for all age groups however the condition is more severe
during teenage stage. The major state of depression occurs when a woman loses the interest to
find pleasure in her activities that she considered enjoyable before. This affects the overall body
and mind. A person loses the ability to think, to sleep, to eat and on top of that becomes
pessimistic towards the way of living. The major depressive disorder also causes low self-esteem
and this exists for a long period of time. For mothers, they experience a special form of
depression known as “Baby Blues” which normally occurs during the initial stages of childbirth.
The mother gets depressed following the months after birth and sometimes this can happen while
she is still pregnant. Woman sometimes also experience persistent depressive disorder that stay
for over 2 years and sometimes even more. Sometimes this is linked to major depressive
episodes that have very similar symptoms.
According to Emdad et al., (2013), the state of depression is linked to the menstrual cycle
of women. Within that time frame, severe level of mood swings and anxiety takes place in her
and her mind is inflicted with all sorts of negative thoughts to the week just prior to the start of
menstruation. Symptoms related to depression are effective enough to impact interpersonal
relationships and affects daily activities (Legrand, 2014). It has been stated that women are
normally anxious and scared and they try to avoid conflicts. It is known that depression runs in
the family, which can be generic in some cases. There are also cases where the genetic makeup is