Sex Differences in Depression

>Girls and women are more prone to depression and anxiety than men (Brody & Hall, 1993). But depression can be more finely differentiated. One form, called interpersonal depression, appears more often in people who are preoccupied with personal relationships and fear abandonment by others. This of course bears a close correspondence with communion (with its emphasis on connectedness to others) and as we could expect, there are  significant sex differences in this form of depression. For excample, among third- to 12th-grade students, girls more often endorse interpersonal symptoms of depression including lonliness, not liking themselves, and wanting more friends (Leadbetter, Blatt, & Quinlan, 1995). (Self-critical depression on the other hand is seen more commonly in people who are preoccupied with issues of self-worth and are practicularly concerned about failing to meet personal goals or appearing incompetent. Predictably, men show greater depressive vulnerability in this area than women.) People who are vulnerable to interpersonal depression also place an intense value on emotional closeness and are preoccupied by fears of being abandoned or neglected in relationships. Because relationships are highly valued, their loss is a severe blow. Girls report more stress than boys in connection with close relationships (Gore, Aseltine, & Colten, 1993) and display stronger associations between stressful relationship events and behavioral problems (Cohen, Gottlieb, Kershner, & Wehrspann, 1985).<


A mind of her own, Anne Campbell, 2013