Gender Differences in the Rates of Exposure to Stressful Life Events and Sensitivity to Their Depressogenic Effects
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Women are at greater risk for major depression than men. The authors sought to determine whether the gender difference in prevalence for major depression was due to more frequent exposure to stressful life events and/or greater sensitivity to their depressogenic effects. METHOD: Male-male, female-female, and male-female twin pairs from a population-based registry were personally interviewed. Each interview assessed the occurrence, to the nearest month, of 18 personal and social network classes of stressful life events and episode onsets of major depression. Standard logistic regression analyses were conducted for the same-sex pairs, and each female twin in the opposite-sex pairs was compared with her male co-twin by using conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Women consistently reported higher rates of housing problems, loss of confidant, crises and problems getting along with individuals in their proximal network, and illness of individuals within their distal network. In both the same-sex and opposite-sex samples, men reported higher rates of job loss, legal problems, robbery, and work problems. Consistent sex differences in the depressogenic effect of stressful life events were seen for three event categories: men were more sensitive to the depressogenic effects of divorce or separation and work problems; women were more sensitive to the depressogenic effects of problems getting along with individuals in their proximal network. None of the gender difference in prevalence of major depression could be explained by differing rates of or sensitivities to stressful life events. CONCLUSIONS: Women reported more interpersonal whereas men reported more legal and work-related stressful life events. Most life event categories influenced the risk for major depression similarly in the two sexes. The results suggest that the greater prevalence of major depression in women versus men is due neither to differences in the rates of reported stressful life events nor to differential sensitivity to their pathogenic effect.
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Males and females react differently to stressful life events, with males more likely to withdraw, respond aggressively and/or experience depressive symptoms, particularly in the face of events like divorce/separation and work problems.
“In addition, males and females are known to react differently to stressful life events, with males being more likely to withdraw, respond aggressively and/or experience depressive symptoms, particularly in the face of events like divorce/separation and work problems [5,6].”
From Masculinity and suicidal thinking (2017) · cites this paper as [5]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Kendler, K. S., Thornton, L. M., & Prescott, C. A.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 2001-04-01
- Volume
- 158
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 587-593
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W2148619783
- Cited by
- 520
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 24.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5k05mh001277-05)
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01AA009095, AA-09095)
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-49492, MH-01277, R01MH049492)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- gender differences, major depressive disorder, life events, twin pairs, interpersonal stress, occupational stress, legal issues, housing problems
- MeSH terms
- Depressive Disorder, Disease Susceptibility, Diseases in Twins, Female, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Registries, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Virginia, Prevalence, Confidence Intervals, Odds Ratio
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