Depression and Women.
Having discussed depression in general, there is a need to discuss depression in women or female depression separately because it differs in the sense that women are more prone than men to depression, the causes of depression in women are different and the symptoms too differ.
This is due to the responsibilities and stress of the woman towards family and society and the changing pattern of the reproductive hormones during the menstrual cycles, pregnancy and menopause.
How Women Get Depression|Causes and Risk Factors of Depression in Women.
The various potential causes and risks which contribute to depression in women are being exploited to come to a conclusive evidence as depression in women is much more complex. Various causes and risk factors such as genetic, biological, chemical, hormonal, social, environmental and psychological contribute towards development of depression more so in women. Here we are discussing those specific causes which cause depression in women. However do read causes of depression which are general and common for all, for an overview of why you develop depression.
Genetics and Depression in Women.
A family history of depression increases the risk of depression in a woman. It does not mean that a family history always leads to depression in a woman because many women with such a history do not develop depression at all. Similarly there are many cases of women without a family history who develop depression. But the fact remains that a hereditary trait of depression can predispose a women more to develop depression.
Biological Changes and Depression in Women.
Certain physical changes do occur in the brain which lead to depression but what those changes are is still not known. But certain parts of the brain do not function as they should. Brain imaging studies such as MRI have shown that the appearance of the brain of a person with depression looks different than the normal brain appearance. But the reason for these changes still lies undetected. Such changes are a smaller hypothalamus which is noticed in people with depression.
Brain Chemicals as Cause of Depression.
Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring chemicals in the brain, such as dopamine, serotonin or norepinephrine, and which are responsible for the mood sentiment. These are the chemicals which the brain cells or the nerve cells use to communicate and send signal to and fro from the brain to the body. In depression, changes in the levels of these chemicals are seen and are believed to have a direct bearing on depression.
Depression in Girls|Teenage Girl Depression.
Depression and Puberty. Depression is often seen in teenage girls at the time of attaining puberty and during the menstrual cycle. Changing mood patterns are common during puberty in girls but they are temporary and do not cause depression. During puberty, depression rate is higher in girls than boys and as girls attain puberty earlier, depression too sets in earlier in girls than boys. It is believed that the hormonal changes that take place during puberty contribute to higher rate of depression in girls than boys.
Puberty contributes to depression in the following ways.
- Emergence of sexual differences during puberty is believed to play a likely and vital role.
- Conflicts with other members of the family due to mood changes.
- Additionally, increased pressure of performance in academics and sports especially in ambitious girls.
- Development of the body especially in girls during puberty is closely linked to self esteem. Poor endowment (poor development of vital stats) leads to poor self esteem and risk of depression.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) and Depression in Women.
Women often face symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) such as abdominal pain and bloating, headache, breast tenderness, fatigue, anxiety and irritability just before the onset of menstruation.
For most, these PMS symptoms are short lived. In a few percentage of the young women, these symptoms can be quite disabling often causing severe problems in their life, work and in relationship. Such a condition is called Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a type of depression which warranties treatment.
It is believed that the hormonal fluctuations seen during the menstrual cycle are responsible for PMDD. These changes in the levels of the hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are believed to disrupt the function of the neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, which are believed to be responsible for the mood of the person.
Other factors as explained in causes of depression, like genetic and lifestyle factors also play a role in female depression.
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