Mental Health Treatment: Gender Differences in Men & Women

Men and women both have similar rates of mental illness, however, gender can play a role in the scope of mental health care treatment

Depression Diagnoses

• Although both men and women experience clinical depression or (unipolar), women are more likely to be diagnosed with the disorder even when both genders present with the same symptoms.

Psychotrophic Medications

• According to a 2000 study (Simoni and Wastila), women appear to use psychiatric medications at a higher rate in mental health treatment when compared to men, after controlling for socio-economic and demographics factors.

Psychiatric Treatment

• When seeking mental health treatment women are more likely to get help from a general practioner. Men usually seek help from a clinical mental health provider.

Severe Mental Disorders

• In a study of gender differences in public mental health care centers for men and women with schizophrenia, research showed that men were more likely to access crisis residential and emergency treatment services. However, 51 percent of women were likely to be treated in an inpatient/outpatient setting.

Gender Issues in Treatment

• In addition to mental illnesses, women encounter sexual/physical, violence and economic issues which can create inequality in mental health treatment. Also, women generally provide primary care for children and loved ones and may experience co-occurring diagnoses like substance abuse which can negatively impact the entire family through involvement with outside agencies (i.e.-child protective services, the legal system). Men tend to disguise depression by self-medicating with alcohol and illegal substances and often wait until they are in crisis to get help (i.e--men abuse alcohol 3 times more than women).