Author:
Piccinelli Marco,Wilkinson Greg
Abstract
BackgroundWith few exceptions, the prevalence, incidence and morbidity risk of depressive disorders are higher in females than in males, beginning at mid-puberty and persisting through adult life.AimsTo review putative risk factors leading to gender differences in depressive disorders.MethodA critical review of the literature, dealing separately with artefactual and genuine determinants of gender differences in depressive disorders.ResultsAlthough artefactual determinants may enhance a female preponderance to some extent, gender differences in depressive disorders are genuine. At present, adverse experiences in childhood, depression and anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, sociocultural roles with related adverse experiences, and psychological attributes related to vulnerability to life events and coping skills are likely to be involved. Genetic and biological factors and poor social support, however, have few or no effects in the emergence of gender differences.ConclusionsDeterminants of gender differences in depressive disorders are far from being established and their combination into integrated aetiological models continues to be lacking.
Publisher
Royal College of Psychiatrists
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health
Cited by
1666 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献