The Challenges Faced by Females Growing Up in Gender Differences in Depression, an Article by Susan Nolan-hoeksema

In “Gender Differences in Depression,” Susan Nolan-Hoeksema describes the challenges females face growing up. Depression can escalate in females faster than males and can have an affect on everything they do. The article states that our “lack of social power” can bring out depression and vulnerabilities that most men do not face as often, such as sexual assault. Such traumas tend to make women feel helpless and as if they have no control. Females are also pressured to conform to gender roles in which girls care more about their appearance and start avoiding activities associated with males to be appreciated more by their peers. Such pressure can lead to depression in females around the time of puberty. By adolescence, girls and boys started handling stress differently. Girls will hold it in and let it manifest into depression, while boys wills take action to relieve the stress. This difference is maintained throughout adulthood and this rumination partially accounts for gender differences in depression. The article also states that when females start to push their own desires to the side to please and care for others, they become dependent on the acceptance of others. This can lead to problems in relationships, which is shown to stress females more greatly than males.

The article used a case study where is evaluated and observed females and males to discover how they react to different stressors and how depression can affect each. By doing this, she found that females are more greatly affected by depression and stressors than males. Though both females and males can fall into depression, it has shown to take more of a toll on females and affect their everyday lives.

Nolen-Hoeksema found that females are more susceptible to depression than males and they have a harder time getting through hard times. Traumatic experiences, such as the loss of a loved one or sexual assault can greatly affect both genders, but more so females. Studies found that around the age of 13, girl’s rates of depression begin to increase substantially whereas boys remain low or even decrease. She found that there is a major difference in genders, which is mostly associated with the vulnerability that comes with social power disadvantages.

This article shows that females aren’t just emotional for no reason. It explains the reasons behind it and can help find ways to change it. With social gender equality could come depression gender equality. If that happened, hopefully females will have lower depression rates and healthier lives, which could lead to a happier world. Nolen-Hoeksema is telling everyone how important it is to really understand why someone is unhappy and where it all stems from. This article could greatly help those fighting for gender equality in today’s world.