Dr. Elena Iracheta, clinical psychologist at the Women’s Unit of the Ruber Internacional Hospital, explains what psychological disorders characterized by panic or anguish consist of. These are twice as common in women as in men, and their symptoms are also more severe and their age of onset is earlier.
Anxiety disorders have now become frequent and disabling illnesses.
In fact, women of reproductive age are the most vulnerable to developing this type of disorder, about two to three times more than men.
Being a woman or a man can no longer only influence the prevalence of mental disorders, but also the way in which these symptoms manifest themselves and are expressed, as well as the willingness to seek psychological assistance, how one responds to treatment and how the illness progresses.
In the following, several examples of these differences will be mentioned.
Distress Disorders
This is a psychological disorder characterized by a series of unexpected and repeated panic disorders.
In this case, the disorder is twice as common in women as in men. At the same time, the age of onset is different, since it begins between 15 and 24 years of age in women and between 35 and 44 years of age in men.
The disorder is more severe in women, with predominantly respiratory symptoms, whereas in men the signs are more gastrointestinal and may be accompanied by intense sweating.
Hormonal fluctuations in women may play a role in these differences, as it has been shown that premenstrual hormonal changes may contribute to these panic episodes.
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is one of the most disabling of the panic disorders. When an anxiety or panic disorder occurs, the person shows a tendency to lock him/herself at home without wanting to go out.
It affects between 3 and 4% of men compared to almost 9% of women, in whom the symptoms are more severe.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
This is an excessive and uncontrollable preoccupation with everyday problems. Some symptoms may be:
- Muscle tension
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Lack of concentration
- Irritability
The prevalence rate is 4% in men, compared to 7% in women.
In turn, several studies have pointed out that the signs of GAD include a premenstrual worsening.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
This is a common and severe disease in which the person suffers from obsessive and repetitive thoughts, many fears that can lead him to compulsively perform ritualized behaviors to reduce his anxiety.
OCD has no sexual differences in its incidence, but it presents some curious differences between sexes. For example, in men, the onset is earlier, coinciding with puberty. In the case of women, it does not usually manifest itself before the age of 20, and is usually associated with pregnancy.
Signs and symptoms in women have harmful compulsions about cleanliness and obsessive checking.
Some OCD research has focused on hormonal changes and how they occur in the menstrual or premenstrual phase, as well as after pregnancy and menopause.
Phobia
Phobia or excessive fear of a particular situation or object has a prevalence of 5% in men and 11% in women.
For example, in diagnosed women there is usually a worsening of symptoms during the premenstrual phase, as well as in pregnant women.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
The prevalence rate of PTSD is 10% in women, compared to 5% in men.
It occurs after exposure to a traumatic event, whether psychological or physical, that causes acute and chronic stress. The person may relive the moment in the form of flashbacks or through dreams.
Specialists point out these differences as a function of hormones, but it is not really known why the rates of these disorders are so high in women, since to date it has not been identified what factors cause these differences between sexes.
For more information, please consult a specialist in psychology.