Woman And Depression

Statistics have revealed that close to 19 Million people in America suffer from depressive disorders. An eye-opener to those statistics is the fact that woman are twice more likely to be prone to depression than men. More worrisome is the fact that doctors have not been able to decide the cause of depression in women based on their behavioral trends.

What are the causes of depression in women?

Women and men are characteristically different that brings out difference in behavioral patterns across them to different situations. The study of depressive behaviors by women to different situations, have thrown up some interesting observations on causes of women and depression.

  • Depression during menopause - Menopause is a period occurring monthly in women after a certain age. This period is accompanied by hormonal changes in the woman's body. Depressive behavior of women is attributed to the woman's ability to cope up with the hormonal changes in the body due to menopause.

  • Adolescence Issues - It has been found that girls between the age of 11 and 13 are prone to depression. The statistic goes on to prove that by the age of 15, girls would have had one major depressive episode. This is attributed to changing roles, forming an identity and emerging sexuality of the girls.

  • Depression in adulthood - Adulthood brings along with it responsibilities which women must have to fulfill. These include responsibilities at work and home, responsibilities of parenthood including caring for the child, caring for children and parents. Many women cope up with these responsibilities admirably well but there is a few cross-section of women have reported depressive episodes in them.

  • Reproductive changes - Menopause and depression have been attributed as one major cause to depression. This includes the PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome), pregnancy, post pregnancy, infertility. Each of these accompanies certain physiological changes in a woman's body. Scientists are studying the rise and the fall of estrogen whose presence is important in a woman's body to control depressive disorders.

  • Abuse - The fact that women are vulnerable to physical abuse like molestation, sexual assaults make them prone to depressive behavior. Studies have revealed that close to 30% of women who report depressive behavior, have a history of abuse. Of all the factors contributing to depression in women, this is one that can be controlled by women as well as the society.

  • Poverty - Women form close to 50% of the population in the United States of America considered poor. Low economic status brings with it many effects like isolation, uncertainty and negligible access to resources.

There are many other causes to depression in women which possibly makes it a difficult case to solve. Doctors could do well by analyzing the correct cause of depression in women and prescribing a treatment accordingly.