SSP-Gender and Society

• Mental disorders are now widely recognized as a major contributor to the global burden of disease
• In 2000, suicide ranked as the thirteenth leading cause of death, accounting for 815 000 deaths or 1.5% of all deaths worldwide. Just over a quarter of these deaths occurred in young adult males (i.e. those aged 15-44 years)
• Nearly one-third of all years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide can be attributed to neuropsychiatric conditions (i.e. mental disorders and neurological disorders combined)
• Overall, there is very little difference in the prevalence of mental disorders between men and women
• There are in fact marked male:female differences in the prevalence of certain mental disorders
• Gender-based factors such as unemployment, marital arrangements and the lethality of suicide methods, have all been identified as significant in terms of their influence on the rates of suicide and attempted suicide
• Gender factors have also been invoked to explain why women are more likely than men to suffer from depression, whereas men are more likely to abuse alcohol
• Paradoxically, it appears that socially-constructed factors act to produce a greater impact of mental illness on women, but may also contribute – in specific instances – to a more favourable outcome
• Categories of mental disorders


  • Severe mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia)
  • Common mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety)
  • Substance use disorders (e.g. alcohol, drug abuse)
  • Developmental disorders (e.g. autism, ADHD)
  • Neurological disorders (e.g. dementia, epilepsy)
• Severe mental disorders


  Disorders which are often chronic and characterized by psychosis, such as schizophrenia
• Common mental disorders


  Disorders such as depression and anxiety which are more prevalent but less severe than psychotic disorders
• Substance use disorders


  Disorders involving the harmful or dependent use of alcohol or drugs
• Developmental disorders


  Disorders that emerge in childhood and involve impairments in areas such as learning, behavior, and social interaction
• Neurological disorders


  Disorders of the nervous system, such as dementia and epilepsy
• Gender-sensitive research is more likely to lead to improved outcomes in treatment and preventative interventions
• The role of gender in public health is now widely acknowledged and is a core component of many health programmes, both international and national
• Mental illness


  Encompasses a broad spectrum of disorders, which differ vastly from one another in terms of their distribution, symptoms, causes, outcomes
• Broad categories of mental disorders


  • Severe mental disorders
  • Common mental disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Mental disorders in the elderly
  • Mental disorders in childhood
  • Other disorders
• Mental disorders are associated with extremely high rates of ill-health and disability
• Neuropsychiatric conditions (mental disorders and neurological disorders together) are responsible for nearly one third of all years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide
• Depression and alcohol use disorders alone account for more than 20% of the total years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide
• There is a great inequity in the regional distribution of mental health research; only 6% of the literature was derived from Africa, Asia or Latin America, which, together, account for over 90% of the global population
• The burden of mental illness is especially great in those aged 15-44 years, typically the most economically-productive age group in any community
• Depression and alcohol use disorders together account for nearly one quarter of all years lived with disability (YLDs) in the 15-44 year old age group
• Depression is by far the greatest single cause of disability in women aged between 15 and 44 years
• There is considerable evidence to suggest that some mental disorders, for example, depression, are more common among those who are living in poverty
• Mental disorders often co-exist with other health problems and are known to worsen the outcomes of other medical conditions
• Alcohol use disorders are implicated in more than one million deaths annually, with most victims dying in their young adulthood
• Suicide is one of the world's leading killers; although ranked 13th overall, in young adults (i.e. 15-34 year-olds) suicide is among the top three causes of death
• Suicide deaths are only part of the problem; each person who takes their own life leaves behind many others – family and friends – whose lives are profoundly affected, both emotionally and economically, by such events
• Among 15-44-year-olds, self-inflicted injuries rank sixth in the list of causes of ill-health and disability
• Sex differences in the prevalence of mental disorders across the life cycle

  • Childhood: Males >> Females
  • Adolescence: Females >> Males
  • Adulthood: Females > Males, Males = Females
  • Old age: Females > Males
• Women are more likely than men to suffer from co-morbid mental disorders, that is to say, the co-existence of more than one mental disorder
• Globally, more men (509 000 in 2000) than women (305 000 in 2000) take their own lives
• Rates of suicide tend to increase in both men and women with age, such that, overall, rates among those aged 75 years and over are approximately three times those aged 15-24 years
• The absolute number of suicides is in fact greater in those under 45 years of age compared with those over 45 years for both men and women
• Suicide rates tend to increase in both men and women with age, such that, overall, rates among those aged 75 years and over are approximately three times those aged 15-24 years
• Although rates of suicide are higher in older persons, the absolute number of suicides is in fact greater in those under 45 years of age compared with those over 45 years for both men and women
• Individual countries vary considerably in their rates of suicide
• The highest rates tend to occur in eastern European countries and the lowest rates in Latin American countries and in some countries in Asia