Mental conditions affect men and women differently. Disorders like depression and anxiety occur more frequently in women than men. Additionally, mental illness manifestation, prevalence, and severity vary between genders.
Hormonal Influence
While depression is common to women, some form of this mental illness is common to women. Women may experience depression due to hormonal fluctuations during different points of the menstrual cycle may cause depression. The premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a typical condition for women during their menstrual cycle.
Women also experience perinatal depression, occurring before and after birth. The condition is known as postpartum depression when it manifests after birth. Perimenopause-related depression also transpires because of hormonal changes during menopause.
Women Specific Experiences
There are life experiences that increase the susceptibility of women to mental illness. For instance, women are more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from sexual or domestic violence. Women are also more likely to wait before seeking help than men. According to OASH, women wait an average of four years before seeking treatment. Furthermore, women have a higher likelihood of developing PTSD than men. Their condition worsens because they delay in seeking treatment.
Women also have a higher percentage of people with eating disorders than men. The outcome may be a consequence of societal pressure and culture on women’s body image, size, and shape.
Women Specific Manifestation
Although women consume fewer drugs than men, they are more vulnerable to addiction and relapses because of their reproductive hormones. The female sex hormones increase cravings and increase the risk for relapses.
Pregnant women and nursing mothers transfer their drug dependence to children and reduce the infant’s life expectancy. Problematic pregnancies and the child’s death also add to the burden of mental health. Successful mental health intervention programs include child care and maternal support to rehabilitate women with substance use disorder.
