A Feminist Look at the Causes of Depression

The general perception of depression is steadily improving. More and more people are beginning to recognize it as a treatable medical condition rather than a character flaw, but the stigma remains and the disease is still misunderstood. This is especially troubling for women, since according to the American Psychological Association they are twice as likely as men to develop depression and one in five women are expected to be diagnosed with depression (even though the APA also claims that 30-50% are misdiagnoses).

A combination of biological and social factors lead to increased depression rates in women, this article from the Mayo Clinic describes how things like pregnancy and menstruation can lead to depression in some women because of the major hormone changes that occur during each event. There are also social factors that contribute to women's propensity for depression. Women are more likely to have to care for children and balance work which causes stress, one of the major factors in developing depression. They are also more likely to be single parents. Women also typically make less money than men and people in tough economic situations are more prone to depression. But wait...there's more. Married women are more likely than single women to be depressed; despite social pressure for women to be married, it may not make them happy. Also, 90% of women with eating orders develop depression. Finally, women are more likely to be sexually assaulted or abused, and victims or any type of sexual abuse are very likely to develop depression. For a more in depth analysis of these causes, check out this article.

This is a vicious cycle, not only do traditional gender roles help lead to depression, but depression itself reinforces those same gender roles by making women seem emotional and physically weak. We need to make it clear that depression is not weakness, it is a treatable disease that our own culture has made women susceptible to. The words we use, whether we call it a disease or not have real consequences.