| HEALTH STATUS - Morbidity |
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Depression and anxiety disorders disproportionately affect women. According to the 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS), females were more likely than males to report poor mental health status in the month prior to the survey. Twelve percent of females reported having between three and seven poor mental health days as compared to 9 percent of men. Five percent of women reported being in poor mental health for the entire month.
In addition to the depression that women may experience at other times in their lives, about 10 percent of women experience postpartum depression after having a baby.(1) As described by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, in contrast to more transient "baby blues" experienced by 70-80 percent of new mothers, women with postpartum depression have more long-lasting and intense feelings of sadness, anxiety, or despair and may have trouble coping with their daily tasks. Without treatment, postpartum depression may persist and worsen and, in some cases, may develop into more severe mental illness.
Suicide in women is also a serious concern. In 1998, females had an overall age-adjusted suicide rate of 4.3 per 100,000 females. American Indian/Alaska Native and White non-Hispanic women had especially high rates of suicide at 5.3 and 5.0 per 100,000 females, respectively, as compared to 3.6 for Asian/Pacific Islander, 2.0 for Hispanic, and 1.8 for Black females. Female suicide rates peak for women aged 45-64 at 7.0 deaths per 100,000 females. Female suicide rates in 1998 were significantly lower than male suicide rates overall and at every age. The 1998 overall age-adjusted male suicide rate was 19.2 per 100,000 males, with the rate peaking at 57.8 per 100,000 males for men 85 years and older.
1 - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Postpartum depression.http://www.medem.com/ (search on "postpartum depression")
