Women are twice as likely as men to experience mood disorders
Almost anyone can attest to the fact that men and women are different in many ways. Scores of books – which have achieved varying degrees of success and acclaim – have been published that attempt to quantify and explain the differences.
In the field of psychiatry, gender differences are an important phenomenon as men and women not only experience different disorders, they experience the same disorders differently.
The best example of this occurs in mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder. Women experience a higher incidence of these conditions and manifest different symptoms across their lifespan than men.
To begin with, women are twice as likely as men to experience a mood disorder. This difference in incidence is not fully understood, but there seems to be a connection between female mental health and the hormonal system.