
Mind-Body Resilience for Women: A Focus on Depression
Here’s why we should be paying special attention to women's depression treatment.
Depression is the leading cause of disability and a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease.1 As the
To develop women-focused solutions for depression, it is important to understand the various factors that contribute to women’s greater risk for depression. A health equity and public health lens is imperative. The distinction between sex and gender also needs to be clear, with sex referring to biological differences and gender encompassing socially constructed and enacted roles and behaviors shaped by historical and cultural contexts. Additionally, diagnostic tools, symptom screeners, medications, and other health tools must not have sex or gender bias.
Women in their reproductive years undergo cycle changes in steroid hormones (progesterone/estrogen) over the menstrual cycle. The role of these changes as a factor contributing to depression and mood changes is seen in women with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The estimated prevalence in reproductive women is 5% (PMDD) and 20% (PMS). There is growing evidence that the rise in ovarian steroid hormone production and the effect of their metabolites (in particular allopregnanolone) on central brain receptors as progesterone receptor modulators contribute to the mood symptoms in
The female preponderance in depression occurs largely during the reproductive years, is not evident before puberty, and is less marked after menopause. Societal factors may also play an important role; even in developed countries, women still often take a greater responsibility for child rearing and domestic activities while still being expected to progress their careers—known as a “double day.” Women worldwide are also the majority of caregivers for family members needing health care; often this role is unpaid.
Intimate Partner Violence
Depression is also linked to intimate partner violence (IPV).
One particularly devastating yet unaddressed and long neglected impact is the mental and brain health effects—
Chronic Health Conditions
It is also important to note the connection between depression and chronic health conditions in women, such as heart disease. Since 1989, heart disease has been
Dementias
Understanding the role of depression in dementia for women is also imperative.
Solutions
Novel, women-focused solutions can reduce the impact of depression and increase global resilience. As a recent
Developing women-focused solutions is not only a medical and moral imperative—there is also significant economic and commercial upside. Emergen Research projects that the global market for women’s health will reach $60 billion in 2027.16 Additionally, women are the chief medical officers of society, controlling 80% of health care decisions in the United States and spending 29% more per capita on health care compared to men.17,18
Concluding Thoughts
By developing women-focused solutions for depression that account for various factors, including the relationship between depression with heart disease and dementia in women, we can build a more resilient society and world.
Ms Smith is an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at Global Brain Health Institute, a Thiel Fellow at Stanford University, and a Steering Committee member for OECD-PRODEO Institute Neuroscience-inspired Policy Initiative.Mr Heinemeyer is CEO of PRODEO and cofounder of the PRODEO Institute. Dr Chapman is founder and chief director of the Center for BrainHealth at UT Dallas. She is a distinguished professor at UT Dallas. Dr Zarutskie is a reproductive endocrinologist at Baylor College of Medicine. He is an active member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine and the North American Menopause Society, with a special interest in the role of steroid hormones on cognitive function. Dr Wainer is deputy secretary of public health in the Victorian Department of Health and Honorary Melbourne Enterprise Professor with the University of Melbourne. Dr Berk is a NHMRC senior principal research fellow, Alfred Deakin professor of psychiatry at Deakin University, and director of the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation at Deakin University. Dr Chadha is CEO and cofounder of the Women’s Brain Project. Dr Eyre is colead of the OECD-PRODEO Institute NIPI.He is a senior fellow in brain capital for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. He holds adjunct or advisory roles with IMPACT at Deakin University, the Heka Fund, Brain Health Nexus at Cohen Veterans Bioscience, GBHI, Baylor College of Medicine, Latin American Brain Health (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative and the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association.
References
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15. DeSilva J, Krasniansky A. Building comprehensive women+ digital health: Eight sectors serving women+ needs. Rock Health. September 27, 2021. Accessed May 12, 2022.
16. Femtech Market By Type (Devices, Software, Services), By End-Use (Direct-to-Consumer, Hospitals, Fertility Clinics, Surgical Centers, Diagnostic Centers), By Application (Reproductive Health, Pregnancy & Nursing Care, Pelvic & Uterine Healthcare), By Region, Forecasts to 2027. EMERGEN Research. June 2021. Accessed May 12, 2022.
17. Femtech—time for a digital revolution in the women’s health market. Frost & Sullivan. January 31, 2018. Accessed May 12, 2022.
18. Gambon E, Stotz C, Sandhu N. Femtech is expansive—it’s time to start treating it as such. Rock Health. August 3, 2020. Accessed May 12, 2022.
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