Mental disorders and gender

Gender is correlated with the prevalence of certain mental disorders, including depression, anxiety and somatic complaints.^[1] For example, women are more likely to be diagnosed with major depression, while men are more likely to be diagnosed with substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder.^[1] There are no marked gender differences in the diagnosis rates of disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.^[1][2] Men are at risk to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to past violent experiences such as accidents, wars and witnessing death, and women are diagnosed with PTSD at higher rates due to experiences with sexual assault, rape and child sexual abuse.^[3] Nonbinary or genderqueer identification describes people who do not identify as either male or female.^[4] People who identify as nonbinary or gender queer show increased risk for depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.^[5] People who identify as transgender demonstrate increased risk for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.^[6]

Sigmund Freud postulated that women were more prone to neurosis because they experienced aggression towards the self, which stemmed from developmental issues. Freud's postulation is countered by the idea that societal factors, such as gender roles, may play a major role in the development of mental illness. When considering gender and mental illness, one must look to both biology and social/cultural factors to explain areas in which men and women are more likely to develop different mental illnesses. A patriarchal society, gender roles, personal identity, social media, and exposure to other mental health risk factors have adverse effects on the psychological perceptions of both men and women.^{[citation needed]}