News
Gender and Depression
Women experience depression about twice as often as men. Many hormonal factors may contribute to the increased rate of depression in women--particularly changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, miscarriage, the postpartum period, pre-menopause, and menopause.
Many women also face additional stresses, such as being the primary caretaker of children while working full time, single parenthood, or caring for children and for aging parents at the same time. The higher reported rate of depression among women might also stem from the fact that they tend to be more likely than men to talk about their unhappiness and seek treatment.
Although men are less likely than women to suffer from depression, at least 6 million men in the United States suffer from a depressive disorder every year. But even though both men and women can develop the standard symptoms of depression, they often experience the illness differently and may have different ways of coping with the symptoms. Men are less likely to admit to feeling hopeless or sad. Instead, depression may show up as being irritable, angry, and discouraged. Further, men's depression is often masked by alcohol or drugs or by the socially acceptable habit of working excessively. (U.S. News & World Report) Aging and Depression
Growing old is not easy: Friends and family members die. A satisfying professional life may be a thing of the past. Physical weakness usually may replace health, and the need for assistance with cooking, bathing, and dressing often replaces the ability to live independently. Still, depression should not be accepted as a normal part of aging.
When left untreated, depression in the elderly causes needless suffering, both for individuals who could otherwise be leading a fruitful life and for family members whose emotional and financial resources may be depleted caring for those individuals.In the doctor's office, the older person may not discuss feelings of hopelessness or prolonged grief after a loss.
But there is no stronger evidence of the problem of depression in older adults than the suicide rate. Suicide is often seen as a young man's act of desperation. But in fact, the elderly, particularly older white males have the highest rates. Most older suicide victims have been to see their primary care physicians within the month of their death, many with a depressive illness that was not diagnosed, let alone treated. (U.S. News & World Report)
