Depression in Women

Here are the facts about depression in women: In the U.S., about 15 million people experience depression each year. The majority of them are women. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds do not get the help they need.Depression in women is very common. In fact, women are twice as likely to develop clinical depression as men. Up to one in four women is likely to have an episode of major depression at some point in life.

What is depression?

Clinical depression is a serious and pervasive mood disorder. It causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness. Depression can be mild to moderate with symptoms of apathy, little appetite, difficulty sleeping, low self-esteem, and low-grade fatigue. Or it can be more severe.

What are the symptoms of depression in women?

Symptoms of depression in women include:

Persistent sad, anxious, or “empty” mood
Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex
Restlessness, irritability, or excessive crying
Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, hopelessness, pessimism
Sleeping too much or too little, early-morning waking
Appetite and/or weight lossor overeating and weightgain
Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling “slowed down”
Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts
Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain

What are the symptoms of mania in women?

Mania is a highly energized state with elevated mood that can occur in bipolar disorder. Moods in bipolar disorder swing over the course of days or weeks or months from the lows of depression to the highs of mania. Even though mania is an elevated mood, it is serious and needs medical assessment and treatment.

The symptoms of mania include:

Abnormally elevated mood
Irritability
Decreased need for sleep
Grandiose ideas
Greatly increased talking
Racing thoughts
Increased activity, including sexual activity
Markedly increased energy
Poor judgment that can lead to risk-taking behavior
Inappropriate social behavior

Why is depression in women more common than depression in men?

Before adolescence, depression is rare and occurs at about the same rate in girls and boys. However, with the onset of puberty, a girl’s risk of developing depression increases dramatically to twice that of boys.

Some experts believe that the increased chance of depression in women may be related to changes in hormone levels that occur throughout a woman’s life. These changes are evident during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as well as after giving birth or experiencing a miscarriage. In addition, the hormone fluctuations that occur with each month’s menstrual cycle probably contribute to premenstrual syndrome, or PMS, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD — a severe syndrome marked especially by depression, anxiety, and mood swings that occurs the week before menstruation and interferes with normal functioning of daily life.