Social risk factors affecting women

Gender refers to “an individual's socially ascribed attributes, roles, responsibilities, and expectations in a given society based on their gender expression and how others perceive it” (Miani, Wandschneider, Niemann, Batram-Zantvoort, & Razum, 2021). The differential impacts of social factors, based on gender, contribute to why gender is a determinant of mental health and mental health problems and illnesses.

Gender differences in rates of common mental disorders are evident. For example, women have a higher prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders relative to men, but a later onset for schizophrenic psychoses (World Health Organization [WHO], 2010; Li, Ma, Wang, Yang, & Wang, 2016; Boyd, et al., 2015). Similarly, studies of recent immigrants in Canada show that females are more likely than males to report emotional problems (Browne & al, 2017). This could be because there are more female participants in these studies compared to males. It may also be a result of differential symptoms between sexes where male with depression are more likely to be irritable and angry, whereas females with depression express feelings of helplessness and worthlessness, which are more easily detectable (Immigrants, Refugees & Citizenship Canada, 2012).

This section discusses some of these risk factors, as well as strategies for mental health promotion. This gender disparity in health outcomes exists because of social and economic factors that, in turn, are influenced by cultural and political conditions in society. Examples of these reasons would be the different lifestyles, cultural expectations, different levels of chronic stressors and life events experienced by men and women.