4 ms·
> This number is skewed heavily towards women too All of the data I've seen on the mental health crisis in the West seems to indicate that it hits women harder
by tristor 5y ago
> This number is skewed heavily towards women too
All of the data I've seen on the mental health crisis in the West seems to indicate that it hits women harder than men. I have yet to see an explanation for why, though.
Does anyone know of any articles that thoroughly cover this gender split in mental health and why this particular issue is more predominantly affecting women?
- odessacubbage 5y agocould it be that women are more likely to seek treatment for mental illness? also to the degree that mental illnesses are gender variant, some are more pro social and less subject to stigma than others.
- Mordisquitos 5y agoI have some recent anecdata on the topic. When browsing Google Maps reviews to compare psychotherapists in my area, the overwhelming majority of the reviews are from women.
- ThalesX 5y agoI'm not sure if this translates to other countries, but in my back of the woods, the whole field is basically women.
- watwut 5y agoThere are tons of proposed explanations. Starting with "during covid, boys were less isolated due to them socializing via computer games way more then girls". Continuing through "different body standards and societal expectations" (tho those did not changed in covid). In addition, some mental illnesses are simply genetically more prevalent in one gender then in the other. Those are all speculations tho. Historically, also issues like alcoholism, anorexia, drug use had different rates between genders. It is not unprecedented for one gender to be affected differently then the other.
- odessacubbage 5y agoanorexia could be viewed as part and parcel with the kind of body dysmorphia that is often displayed in weightlifters, not to mention anorexia is also seen at heightened rates among gays and mtf transgenders.
- twayt 5y agoThe most common argument I've heard is that women are more likely to seek help than men since mental health issues are more stigmatized in men.
- tomp 5y agoNot all the data. Women attempt more suicides, but men commit more suicides. Some people say that this trend looks to be reversing in teens (girls committing more suicides) but not sure that’s already clear in the data.
- imoverclocked 5y agoMaybe a good place to start: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(16)30348-0/fulltext https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0... It cites many sources including biological and social, however: > ... we still do not really understand the causes of these differences, and comparatively little research has been done to explain them.