Women and major depressive disorder: clinical perspectives on causal pathways.
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| Title: | Women and major depressive disorder: clinical perspectives on causal pathways. |
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| Authors: | Accortt EE (AUTHOR), Freeman MP (AUTHOR), Allen JJB (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Women's Health (15409996). Dec2008, Vol. 17 Issue 10, p1583-1590. 8p. |
| Subjects: | Epidemiology, Affective disorders, Mental depression, Women, Men, Reproduction, Psychological factors, Social factors, Public health |
| Abstract: | Background and aims: Epidemiological data on the prevalence of mood disorders demonstrate that major depressivedisorder (MDD) is approximately twice as common in women as in men and that its first onset peaksduring the reproductive years. We aimed to review key social, psychological, and biological factors that seemstrongly implicated in the etiology of major depression and to focus on sex-specific aspects of depression, suchas the role of a woman's reproductive life cycle in depressive symptomatology.Methods: A review of the literature, from 1965 to present, was conducted.Results: An integrated etiological model best explains gender and sex differences in depression. Social, psychological,and biological variables must be simultaneously taken into account. These vulnerabilities include(but are not limited to) gender-specific roles in society, life stress such as trauma, a tendency toward ruminativecoping strategies, and the effects of sex hormones and genetic factors.Conclusions: To effectively treat MDD in women and to prevent the recurrence of illness in vulnerable women,clinicians must understand the sex-specific aspects of mood disorders over the longitudinal course of women'sreproductive lives. A biopsychosocial approach should, therefore, be the main focus of future research andpractice, to eventually result in an integrated etiological model of depression in women. Based on the prevalenceof MDD in women, timely screening, diagnosis, and intervention should be public health priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Women's Health (15409996) is the property of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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