There is certainly a gender disparity between men and women in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. We are all inclined to our own gender-bias, even minuscule, and it would be silly to think that didn’t exist with mental health professionals. But, there are differences in how men and women think and function be it through our hormones and brain chemistry, all the way to the gender roles our parents and society has taught us from birth. Statistically speaking, women predominate anxiety, depression, and insomnia according to WHO....but is that really because they are more likely due to the chemistry differences, the acceptable gender-roles, or is one sex more liberally diagnosed? WHO lists unipolar depression as being twice as common in women than in men....1 in 5 men have issues with alcohol dependency while it only effects 1 in 12 women....men are also three times as likely to be diagnosed with an antisocial personality disorder than women.
So is there a real difference or is it all gender bias? Interestingly enough, when you look at severe mental health disorders such as true bipolar disorder and schizophrenia there is no difference between the two sexes...which could almost suggest that a lot of it has to do with gender based roles, stressors, the negative life experiences and events, and the subsequent negative reactions to it (mental health disorders).
Gender specific risk factors for common mental disorders that disproportionately affect women include gender based violence, socioeconomic disadvantage, low income and income inequality, low or subordinate social status and rank and unremitting responsibility for the care of others.
The high prevalence of sexual violence to which women are exposed and the correspondingly high rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following such violence, renders women the largest single group of people affected by this disorder.
Statistically, women are more likely to seek help from and disclose mental health problems to their primary health care physician while men are more likely to seek specialist mental health care and are the principal users of inpatient care.
Here is some factual info for you:
- Depressive disorders account for close to 41.9% of the disability from neuropsychiatric disorders among women compared to 29.3% among men.
- Leading mental health problems of older adults are depression, organic brain syndromes and dementias. A majority are women.
- An estimated 80% of 50 million people affected by violent conflicts, civil wars, disasters, and displacement are women and children.
- Lifetime prevalence rate of violence against women ranges from 16% to 50%.
- At least one in five women suffer rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.