Depression and gender: why is depression more prevalent in women?
Makilim Nunes BaptistaI; Adriana Said Daher BaptistaII,2; Maria das Graças de OliveiraIII
IUniversidade Braz Cubas
IIUNIARARAS
IIIUniversidade Federal de São Paulo
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RESUMO
A depressão pode ser considerada um transtorno de elevada prevalência e com significante sofrimento para os pacientes. Diversos fatores psicológicos, sociais e biológicos podem contribuir para seu desenvolvimento, manutenção e remissão. Aproximadamente 5% da população apresenta depressão e, a partir da adolescência, as mulheres demonstram uma prevalência maior do que os homens, em torno de duas mulheres para cada homem. As possíveis explicações e hipóteses desta diferença são abordadas neste artigo, dentro do panorama psicológico, social, biológico e genético. Os fatores biológicos e neuroendocrinológicos parecem desempenhar um papel importante na explicação desta diferença, já que o início da diferença se dá na época da menarca, momento de grandes mudanças hormonais no corpo da mulher. Porém, os aspectos psicológicos e sociais também são de fundamental importância para explicar a diferença de prevalência de depressão e gênero, já que este transtorno tem sua etiologia e desenvolvimento baseado em explicações multifatoriais.
Palavras-chave: depressão, gênero, fatores de risco.
ABSTRACT
Depression can be considered one of the most prevalent disorders among people, with significant suffering for the patient. Several psychological, social and biological factors may contribute to the development, maintenance and remission of depression disorders. Approximately 5% of the population have depressive symptoms and from adolescence onwards, there are approximately two women for one depressed man. This paper aproaches a possible elucidation for that difference, within a psychological, social, biological and genetic points of view. It seems that biological and neuroendocrinological variables play an important role in the explanation of these differences, because depression disorders usually appear with menstruation, when the female adolescents' body suffers several hormonal changes. Nevertheless, psychological and social variables are also fundamental to account for the prevalent difference in gender, because the etiology and development of these disorders are based on multi-factorial explanations.
Key words: depression; gender; risk factors.
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]]> Recebido em: 30/10/99
1. Trabalho apresentado na Mesa-redonda Depressão e o ciclo de vida da mulher, XXIX Reunião Anual de Psicologia da Sociedade Brasileira de Psicologia, Campinas - SP, outubro de 1999.
2. Endereço para correspondência: Rua Dr. Miguel Pierro, 61. Cidade Universitária. Barão Geraldo - CEP 13083-300 - Campinas - SP. e-mail: daherbaptista@ig.com.br