GENDER DIFFERENCES IN THE PREVALENCE OF DEPRESSION - ARTIFACT, ALTERNATIVE DISORDERS, BIOLOGY OR ROLES

Women's greater risk of depression is one of the most consistent findi ngs in psychiatric epidemiology. However, the explanation for this dif ference remains contested. Here possible explanations were tested usin g a sample of couples where, because they had experienced a life event that was severe for both members, both the woman and man were at risk of depression. There was no evidence to suggest that the higher rage of depression among women in this sample was the result of a measureme nt artefact. In addition, men were not more likely to develop alternat ive, externalising, disorders to depression. If anything, women were m ore likely to experience and express anger about the life event. Consi stent with an explanation based on gender differences in roles, women were only at greater risk of depression following an event involving c hildren, housing and reproduction, and then only when there were clear gender differences in associated roles. Such a specific difference ca nnot be explained easily as a result of biological differences, partic ularly as among women rates of depression did not vary by parity. In c onclusion it seems likely that women's greater risk of depression is a consequence of gender differences in roles, which lead to differences in the experience of life events.