Are women more depressed than men?

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide, affecting between 4-5% of the global population. In Catalonia, more than 700,000 people had moderate or severe depressive disorders in 2023, representing 9.2% of the population over the age of 15. Of these, 505,000 were women, and 211,000 were men. 

According to Gemma Parramon Puig, president of the Catalan Society of Psychiatry and Mental Health of the Catalan Academy of Medical Sciences, and a psychiatrist at Barcelona’s Vall d’Hebron hospital, we must look at a combination of biological, social and cultural factors, when asking why women are more affected by depression than men.  

Depression influenced by biological, social, and cultural factors 

“The reasons always vary a lot, when we look at health and mental health data,” Parramon tells Catalan News, adding that there are always “biological, social, and cultural factors” at play. 

Social factors such as gender inequality, gender-based violence or the struggle to balance work and family care, are generally “more stressful, intense, and negative for women” than for men, according to the psychiatrist.  

Stress can contribute to triggering periods of depression, and while some studies show, that all genders react to stress in similar ways, she says that women are “much more exposed to stress” than their male counterparts, which means that they show up in the depression statistics in higher numbers.  

Depression is not only triggered by stress or a significant trauma, such as abuse, neglect, war or poverty, but can also be the result of hormonal changes.  

“There is data showing that during periods of severe hormonal fluctuations such as premenstrual cycles, pregnancy, postpartum or perimenopause can increase the risk of having mental health problems,” she said.   

Are men less depressed? 

Although women show up much more often in the depression statistics, that doesn’t mean they’re less depressed. 

Instead, there are several “methodological errors” or “artifactual factors” that need to be considered when diagnosing men. 

“Men can present symptoms that are very different from those we expect to find in depression,” she says.  

The typical symptoms that medical professionals tend to use when screening for depression can include an intense feeling of hopelessness or sadness, changes in appetite, loss of interest or pleasure in activities that one once enjoyed, social withdrawal, or suicidal thoughts.  

Different depression symptoms 

However, in men, there are many cases where depression symptoms show up as alcohol or drug use, as well as staying out more or even violent behavior, and this means that “a significant number of men” aren’t diagnosed with depression, but with substance abuse, making it so that they don’t show up in the depression statistics.  

Dr. Parramon admits that the list of depression criteria is currently “not well defined” and that it should be “reevaluated”, although she stresses that doctors do look at the underlying causes, when someone seeks help for something that isn’t depression to begin with.  

‘Masculinity norms’  

Dr. Parramon also points to another important reason why men are often diagnosed.  

“Men are not used to expressing their feelings,” she says. “They are not taught to, and on top of that, masculinity norms punish them if they do.” 

As a result, fewer men seek professional help and are diagnosed, which is why more men than women die by suicide, the psychiatrist says. 

In fact, according to the Catalan Statistics Institute, in 2022, 440 men died by suicide in Catalonia, compared to 174 women.   

But although, there’s still a long way to go to break the stigma surrounding mental health problems and depression in general, Dr. Parramon insists that more people are seeking help and health professionals are “better equipped” to help people with mental health problems than they were a decade ago.   

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, please reach out to your doctor or your healthcare provider, a therapist, or if you live in Catalonia, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 061.  

Podcast

Listen below to the Filling the Sink espisode Depression in focus – Causes, consequences and care.