Harden Elkington
Mental health challenges impact everyone, but the way these challenges show up, are diagnosed, and treated can look very different across genders.
Abnormal psychology, which focuses on understanding unusual patterns in behavior, thoughts, and emotions, often explores how factors like gender play a role in mental health.
Studies reveal that gender can influence not only the types of mental health issues people face but also how symptoms appear and how individuals respond to treatment.
Gender and Mental Health
Gender, which includes both biological and socially defined factors, significantly impacts mental health.
Studies published in The American Journal of Psychiatry reveal that women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders like depression, while men are more likely to face issues like substance abuse and antisocial behaviors.
These disparities highlight the importance of examining mental health through a gendered lens to tailor effective prevention and treatment strategies.
Gender Identity and Mental Health
Gender identity plays a crucial role in mental health, particularly for individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary, or gender nonconforming.
According to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, transgender individuals experience significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety than their cisgender peers, with over 40% of transgender individuals in the U.S. reporting serious suicidal thoughts in their lifetime.
Social stigma, discrimination, and a lack of gender-affirming mental health care contribute to these elevated risks.
Supporting gender-diverse individuals through inclusive policies, social support networks, and access to gender-affirming therapy can make a considerable difference in their mental health outcomes.
Research consistently shows that acceptance from family and society at large can reduce mental health risks for gender-diverse individuals.
Gender Roles and Stereotypes
Traditional gender roles and stereotypes shape how people view and address mental health.
For instance, stereotypes suggesting that men should be “strong” and not show vulnerability often lead to underreporting and undertreatment of mental health issues among men.
Conversely, women may be more likely to seek help but might encounter bias in the types of treatments suggested, as they’re often perceived as more “emotional.”
The societal pressure to conform to these gender roles can have a profound impact on mental health, increasing the risk of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
Studies published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology highlight how these stereotypes can delay diagnosis and treatment, as men and women may express their distress differently due to cultural norms.
Recognizing and addressing these stereotypes can pave the way for more equitable mental health support.
Hormonal Influences
Hormones play a major role in mental health, and gender influences how these hormones change throughout life.
Here’s a closer look at how hormonal shifts can impact mental health for different people:
Estrogen and depression
Research shows that changes in estrogen levels can impact mood in women.
For example, during times like menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, estrogen levels fluctuate, and these shifts can contribute to mood disorders, including depression.
Understanding this connection helps healthcare providers address mood challenges linked to hormonal changes.
Testosterone and aggression
In men, lower testosterone levels have been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety.
Meanwhile, when testosterone levels fluctuate, they can influence aggression and impulsive behavior.
By recognizing how testosterone levels affect mood and behavior, clinicians can offer better support for mental health issues related to these changes.
Hormone therapy and transgender mental health
For transgender individuals, hormone therapy plays an important role in gender affirmation and mental well-being.
Gender-affirming hormone treatments can significantly improve mental health for many transgender people, but they may also bring adjustments in mood as hormone levels change.
Clinicians consider these effects to ensure treatments are supportive and address any mood shifts.
Diagnostic Bias
Diagnostic bias in mental health is a real issue, as gender can influence how symptoms are noticed, interpreted, and diagnosed.
Here’s how this can happen:
Men and depression
Depression in men doesn’t always look like the sadness or withdrawal we might expect.
Instead, it can show up as anger, risk-taking, or irritability—behaviors that aren’t usually linked with depression.
Because of this, men may be misdiagnosed or even go undiagnosed, meaning they miss out on getting the right help.
Women and ADHD
For a long time, ADHD was mostly associated with hyperactive, impulsive behaviors often seen in boys.
However, in women and girls, ADHD symptoms can look different—often showing up as inattentiveness, like daydreaming or trouble focusing.
This difference has led to many women being underdiagnosed or diagnosed much later in life, which can delay the right support and treatment.
These biases in diagnosis mean that some people don’t get the help they need or are given treatments that don’t fit.
By training mental health professionals to recognize these differences, we can move toward more accurate, inclusive diagnoses and care.
Specific Mental Health Conditions and Gender
Certain mental health conditions disproportionately affect one gender more than the other, which can influence both prevalence rates and approaches to treatment.
Depression
Women are about twice as likely to experience depression compared to men.
According to the World Health Organization, nearly 5% of women globally have depression, likely due to a mix of hormonal influences, social expectations, and trauma.
Men with depression often face stigma in seeking help, which can lead to undiagnosed and untreated cases.
Anxiety
Women are also more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety disorders.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry suggests that biological factors like estrogen may increase vulnerability to anxiety.
Gender expectations, such as the pressure on women to balance multiple roles, can exacerbate stress and anxiety symptoms.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, are more common among women than men.
Around 90% of individuals with anorexia nervosa are women, likely due to social pressures and unrealistic beauty standards.
However, eating disorders in men are rising, often underrecognized due to the stigma and diagnostic biases.
Substance abuse
Men are more likely to struggle with substance abuse, which may be due in part to societal expectations encouraging risk-taking behavior.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, men are almost twice as likely as women to develop substance use disorders, though women progress from substance use to dependence more quickly due to biological differences.
Personality disorders
Personality disorders also present differently across genders.
For example, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is more frequently diagnosed in women, while antisocial personality disorder is more commonly diagnosed in men.
These patterns may reflect actual prevalence differences, but they may also be due to gender biases in diagnostic criteria.
Gender and Treatment Outcomes
Gender not only impacts the types of mental health issues people may experience but also affects how they respond to treatment.
Here’s how gender can shape treatment outcomes:
Medication responses
Men and women can have different responses to psychiatric medications due to variations in body composition and hormone levels.
These factors can influence how medications are processed and how effective they are, so doctors often consider gender when determining medication types and dosages.
Therapeutic approaches
Gender-sensitive therapy, which takes into account a person’s gender identity, societal roles, and the pressures they may face, has been shown to improve treatment outcomes, especially for conditions like depression and anxiety.
Studies indicate that people often feel more understood and supported in gender-sensitive therapy, which can lead to better results.
Final Thoughts
The intersection of gender and abnormal psychology is complex and multi-layered.
Understanding how gender influences mental health can help us better diagnose, treat, and support individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
Recognizing the impact of gender identity, roles, stereotypes, and biology on mental health is essential for developing more inclusive mental health practices.
