If you’re living in the 21st century like the rest of us, then chances are you’ve met someone with a mental health disorder. Mental health disorders are actually pretty common, especially because there are so many different kinds. This also means that some are more obvious than others to see, and some have different symptoms than others. 

One thing that has been known to affect the symptoms of a mental health disorder is gender. Scientists have discovered that specific mental health problems might present themselves differently in men and women.

Specifically, we will be talking about ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Anxiety. Some mental health problems are very similar between females and males, so we will be looking at these because they have been shown to be different between genders. 

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and is very common in the US. In women, the symptoms have proven to be more subtle and less obviously recognized than in men. This also leads to boys being 3 times more likely to receive a diagnosis than girls. Males tend to exhibit more externalized symptoms, as opposed to females who tend to show more internalized symptoms. For example, boys might be more physically aggressive, and more impulsive. But, girls might be more verbally aggressive, and have low-self esteem. Because of this, girls’ symptoms might be overlooked or ignored since they don’t manifest so much physically. This undiagnosed ADHD might also put girls at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. So, the ways these different symptoms appear is very important to understand. 

Bipolar disorder is a disorder associated with episodes of severe mood wings and is another very common mental health disorder in the US. This disorder is usually prevalent in men and women equally, but can manifest quite differently in each gender. Women, for example, tend to have more depressive episodes and less manic episodes than men. A manic episode is basically where a person gets very active, but almost in a bad, or scattered, way, causing them to do things without thinking or that they wouldn’t normally do. Migraines, obesity, and anxiety and panic disorders are also things more commonly exhibited from women rather than men. In men, the disorder can begin earlier, and can be more obvious. They tend to do more rash things  like getting into fights and drinking, or having worse episodes.

Anxiety disorders are some of the most common mental health disorders in America, with 1 in 5  adults struggling with them at one point in their lives. Specifically, we are going to be talking about generalized anxiety disorder. Symptoms are generally thought to include feelings of nervousness, irritability, panic or sensing impending danger or doom. Physical symptoms are weakness or exhaustion, and difficulty concentrating or sleeping. First of all, women tend to experience general anxiety disorder more often than men. 3.7% of females are said to experience this, but only 1.9% of men do. In teenagers, there are similar numbers with 3% of girls and 1.5% of boys. For diagnosis of overall anxiety disorders, there is another large gap, with 23.4% of women being diagnosed with some sort of anxiety disorder as opposed to 14.3% of men. For symptoms, effects of anxiety disorders are said to be more severe and disabling in women. In dealing with these symptoms, men are more likely to turn to substance abuse, and women are most likely to avoid the problems. 

So, it is important to understand the differences between men and women when it comes to mental health and the problems it brings. From diagnosis rate to symptom severity, there are many differences that shouldn’t be overlooked.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3135672/ 

https://www.texashealth.org/en/Health-and-Wellness/Behavioral-Health/How-Anxiety-Affects-Men-and-Women-Differently#:~:text=Women%20are%20twice%20as%20likely,than%20men%20(14.3%20percent). 

https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-13-298 

https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-in-girls-and-boys#ADHD-and-Gender- 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14563100/#:~:text=Abstract,cycling%20more%20often%20than%20men. 

https://www.everydayhealth.com/bipolar-disorder/bipolar-disorder-and-gender-differences.aspx