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Gender differences in depression: Critical review
Open accessAbstract
Background: With few exceptions, the prevalence, incidence and morbidity risk of depressive disorders are higher in females than in males, beginning at mid-puberty and persisting through adult life. Aims: To review putative risk factors leading to gender differences in depressive disorders. Method: A critical review of the literature, dealing separately with artefactual and genuine determinants of gender differences in depressive disorders. Results: Although artefactual determinants may enhance a female preponderance to some extent, gender differences in depressive disorders are genuine. At present, adverse experiences in childhood, depression and anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, sociocultural roles with related adverse experiences, and psychological attributes related to vulnerability to life events and coping skills are likely to be involved. Genetic and biological factors and poor social support, however, have few or no effects in the emergence of gender differences. Conclusions: Determinants of gender differences in depressive disorders are far from being established and their combination into integrated aetiological models continues to be lacking.
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“and since depression already occurs with higher prevalence in women [7]”
From Sleep, hormones, and circadian rhythms throughout the menstrual cycle in healthy women and women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (2010) · cites this paper as [7]
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“These prevalence estimates are considerably higher than those observed in the general population [1] and are similar to, or higher than, those observed in patients with diabetes [24], Parkinson’s disease [25] and cancer [26].”
From The prevalence of depression in rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2013) · cites this paper as [25]
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- Piccinelli, 1997, Gender Differences in the Epidemiology of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, 3
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Salk, R. H., Hyde, J. S., & Abramson, L. Y. (2017) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000102 · Cited by 2,622
“…there was a proliferation of research and theories on gender differences in depression (Bebbington, 1996; Kuehner, 2003; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1987; Piccinelli & Wilkinson, 2000; Weissman & Klerman, 1977; for an overview of explanatory models, see Hammarström, Lehti, Danielsson, Bengs, &…”
A systematic review of studies of depression prevalence in university students
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Gender differences in depression
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Metadata
- Authors
- Piccinelli, M., & Wilkinson, G.
- Affiliations
- Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi (IT)
- Royal Liverpool University Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Piccinelli, Marco
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2000-12
- Volume
- 177
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 486-492
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2055218553
- Cited by
- 2,376
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 62 · 2025: 94 · 2024: 88 · 2023: 72 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 118 · 2020: 109 · 2019: 138 · 2018: 142 · 2017: 175 · 2016: 134 · 2015: 159 · 2014: 134 · 2013: 114 · 2012: 112
- FWCI
- 4.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- gender differences, depressive disorders, women, risk factors, childhood adversity, childhood anxiety disorders, coping strategies, life events, genetic factors, social support, etiology
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Depressive Disorder, Family, Female, Humans, Male, Norepinephrine, Patient Acceptance of Health Care, Risk Factors, Serotonin, Sex Factors, Social Support, Stress, Psychological, Prevalence, Disease Progression
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