title: From diathesis to dimorphism: the biology of gender differences in depression.
abstract: Unipolar depression is more common in women than men. We pursue a unifying explanation for the sex difference in the incidence of depression that emerges at puberty and is unlikely to be fully explained as an artifact or as a result of socialization or contemporary sex roles. Because symptomatic anxiety disorders show a similar female preponderance in women, we consider the biology of anxiety disorders and their links to depression. Rather than viewing gender as directly determining differential unipolar depression rates, we hypothesize a primary postpubertal effect of gonadal hormones on limbic system hyperactivity, which predisposes women to potentially higher rates of certain anxiety and depressive disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Gordon Barraclough
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Heather Lorraine
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Brotchie
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013694:Temperament
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D011374:Progesterone