Women and depression are a well-studied couple. In this article, we want to show you a new social perspective on depression.
In general, research shows that at the endogenous level, men and women have the same prevalence of this disorder, however, the number doubles for women when it comes to exogenous depression, in which the environment is the most important factor.
- It seems that the role of caregiver assigned to women is intimately related to the development of this disease.
- So in most situations they forget themselves to take care of others.
In the social context, this can be a risk factor for women to suffer from depression; According to the data, being a woman is the second risk factor for developing this disease, followed only by family history.
An adequate knowledge of the etiology of depression should be able to explain gender differences in this regard; on the other hand, understanding these differences can be a fundamental point in the explanatory mechanisms of these disorders.
“Depression is like drowning, except no one can see you. “
Depression is a multifactorial and complex process whose likelihood of development depends on a wide group of risk factors; to date, it has not been possible to define their entirety or the multiple interactions between these factors.
The prevalence and incidence of depressive disorders is higher in women than in men, from adolescence to adulthood.
In addition, although depression is one of the leading causes of disability in both men and women, the weight of this disease is estimated to be 50% higher in women than in men.
Poverty, unemployment and a low level of formal education are risk factors for depressive disorders, and women have been shown to have an increased risk of depression.
A relevant factor associated with these conditions is increased exposure to parenting in the position of “head of the family”, with low social and economic support, proven risk factor for depression (Targosz et al. , 2003).
It has also been observed that being “housewife” is a risk factor when presented in adverse conditions, i. e. with several stressors, in particular those arising from child care and with little social support.
The life circumstances to which women are most often exposed would be more depressing than those of men. Among them, the greater exposure of women to experiences of sexual abuse and violence is evident (Koss, 1993).
“Depression is a prison where you are both the prisoner and the cruel jailer” – Dorthy Rowe-
There is a relationship between socialization processes, generic roles and stereotypes, encouraging women to develop more emotions such as empathy and guilt brings them closer to emotions such as sadness and despair.
Because of the socialization they are generally subjected to, women have more difficulty dealing with anger, behaving assertively, and protecting their needs for self-realization.
They also develop a more common use of passive adaptation, focused on emotions and reflective versus negative experiences (Zahn-Waxler, 2000).
Other characteristics that have also been observed to be associated with vulnerability to depression in relation to gender differences are the degree of significance given to the quality of interpersonal relationships and the feeling of responsibility for the well-being of others, which would be more common in women. (Leadbeater, Blatt and Quinlan, 1995).
The depressive response would be lower in men by socialization patterns and socially stimulated lifestyles, psychosocial aspects that would determine a different way of life, confronting and expressing emotional discomfort in men and women.
As this set of factors is less prevalent in men, harmful life experiences and dysphoria generated by them would not have the same depressive effect on them.
Therefore, in conclusion, the above factors are likely to contribute to some expansion of gender differences in the presence of symptoms and depressive disorders.
Women and depression: the same person who smiles and speaks constantly may be the one who cries before falling asleep.