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Background: Until recently, gender differences in depression, which have
been documented for many years, were imagined to be insignificant to treatment
selection.
Method: Gender differences in the prevalence, presentation, etiology, and
antidepressant treatment of depressive disorders are reviewed in this article.
Results: One of the most replicated findings in epidemiology is the high
female to male sex ratio in the prevalence of depression, especially during the
reproductive years. Women more often have a seasonal component and anxious
and atypical depression. Psychological, neurochemical, anatomic, hormonal,
genetic, and personality factors have been proposed as explanations for the
differences. Gender differences in antidepressant treatment response have not
been found consistently.