Womes Psychological health Flashcards
What does the major depressive disorder mean?
frequent episodes of hopelessness and low self-esteem. Difficulty finding pleasure in most activities.
What are the characteristics of major depressive disorder?
emotion symptoms, cognitive symptoms, behavior and physical symptoms.
What are the cognitive symptoms?
self-blame and these thoughts interfere with concentration
What are the behavior symptoms?
decreased social contact, sleep
What are the Gender comparisons for depressive disorders?
2 times more prevalent in women then men; this difference emerges in adolescence, and lasts through lifetime
What are the risk factors that explain the gender differences?
help-seeking behavior, childhood environment and experiences, prior depression and anxiety, social roles and norms, adverse life events, coping styles, social support, genetic factors, and hormonal factors
What is help-seeking behavior?
females are more likely than men to seek help for depressive symptoms.
How is childhood environment a risk factor?
females are at a greater risk of sexual abuse, seem to be more sensitive.
What is prior depression and anxiety?
females are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety disorders at an earlier age
How does social roles, and norms contribute to risk of depression?
role limitation with associated lack of choice, role overload, competing social roles contribute to female risk of depression
What are adverse life events?
females, men are equal in the # of events but females may react differently
What are the coping styles ?
females engage in more rumination, men engage in more distraction
What is the social support, genetic factors?
no evidence that this differs between depressors
What are the hormonal factors?
some effect, but smaller than that of environmental factors. If it was linked than girls who started menstruation earlier would also experience depression earlier but they don’t, so there has to be more happening during adolescence.
What is the stereotype in treatments for depression?
over-diagnose depression in women, and under diagnose in men
