Hard to say, but there’s some evidence that hormones could play a role. One line of evidence suggesting this is that young women are at the greatest risk[1] for major depression and mental disorders starting at puberty, when prevalence of depression[2] is doubled in women compared to men for ages 14-25. However, other social factors around this age could equally play a role. What’s more confusing is that a reduction in estrogen also looks to be linked to depression. In the time right before menopause, when estrogen levels begin to decrease in an irregular fashion, the risk of depression[3] appears to increase, and studies[4] suggest that hormone replacement therapy (particularly estrogen) may prevent or alleviate depression experienced during the transition. In fact, women using oral contraceptives[5], especially the monophasic (same amount of hormones in each pill) type, reported reduced rates of depression and anxiety in comparison to non-users. Unfortunately, since researchers suspect hormonal fluctuations can influence depression, most studies tend to avoid women participants for this reason, so not much human data is available.
Why is depression more prevalent in women?
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•Last Updated: April 23, 2025
Depression is more prevalent in women, particularly during puberty and the transition to menopause, potentially due to hormonal fluctuations; evidence suggests that estrogen levels may influence the risk of depression. Additionally, social factors and the effects of oral contraceptives on mental health complicate the understanding of this issue because research studies often exclude women to avoid hormonal variability.