The Role of Gender in Mental Health

Anxiety is a common reaction to stress, but excessive and encompassing anxiety can be detrimental to one’s quality of life. Research suggests that women have consistently higher rates of anxiety disorders than men. Furthermore, research has shown anxiety disorders to be more disabling in women than in men. Like most mental health conditions, anxiety disorders are the result of a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological factors. Gender-specific risk factors like gender-based violence, social status, income disparity and gender roles can all play a role in the prevalence of anxiety disorders. Additionally, conditions like multiple sclerosis and cancer can boost the risk for mental disorders. Some research even suggests that anxiety manifests itself differently between genders. Women may be more likely to internalize emotions leading to withdrawal, loneliness and depression, while men may externalize their emotions through aggressive, impulsive, coercive and noncompliant behavior.