There are a variety of gender inequalities in society today, and mental health is one of the biggest areas where gender inequality in health care is apparent.
In the U.S. there is a disparity between genders in terms of traits and characteristics that are more visible in one gender than the other, leading to more boys being referred for mental health treatment than girls. This is because boys tend to externalize what they are going through, while girls internalize more. Teachers are also less likely to refer someone to treatment if their academic performance isn’t suffering, which is also a trait more common in females, as they tend to perform better in school in comparison to males. For example, ADHD often goes undiagnosed in females because of the different ways it presents in females as opposed to males. Females tend to do more daydreaming, while males tend to be more active, hyper, and external with their symptoms.
Gender differences as they relate to mental health continue into adolescence. Males are socialized to see therapy and opening up about their feelings and emotions as a weakness, while women are encouraged to do so. In their teen years, girls are more likely to talk with a trusted friend about any struggles they are facing than boys are. This feeds into the stigma surrounding mental health that’s been slowly challenged over the years. It also leads to men being more resistant toward therapy and mental health services into adulthood.
When it comes to diagnosing mental health disorders and the overall prevalence rates, the most common mental health disorders, such as depression, are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed in females than in males, even when the two present with identical symptoms. Furthermore, women are more likely to be prescribed medications, while men are more likely to be diagnosed with substance use disorders. The same can be said of anxiety, which is another common mental health disorder more commonly diagnosed in women.
Socioeconomic status has also been linked to greater gender gaps in mental health treatment and diagnosis. Women account for 70% of the world’s lowest paid workers, and these gender roles and pay gap inequalities still exist in society today.
Read more at HealthNews.com.
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