Sections
Treatment of Women: Introduction | Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder | Hormonal Contraception and Effects on Mood | Psychological Aspects of Infertility, Induced Abortion,
and Pregnancy Loss | Psychiatric Disorders in Pregnancy | Substance Abuse During Pregnancy | Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders | Breast-Feeding and Psychotropic Medications | Perimenopause and Menopause | Women Victims of Violence | Gender Issues in the Treatment of
Psychiatric Disorders | Female-Specific Cancers | Summary | Key Points | Suggested Readings | Online Resources | References
Excerpt
Although overall men and women are at equal
risk for developing a psychiatric disorder over their lifetime,
there are gender-specific differences in the prevalence and clinical course
of a number of specific mental disorders. These differences stem
from a variety of factors, including biological and experiential
differences between the sexes. Probably due in part to genetically
primed alterations in the risk of depression in response to changing
hormones during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and the postpartum,
the heritability of major depression appears to be higher in women
than in men (Kendler et al. 2006). These female-specific
hormonal and physiological differences not only predispose women
to certain psychiatric illnesses but also often inform treatment decisions.