Cross-national epidemiology of depression and gender.

Depressive disorders are 1.5 to 3 times more frequent in women than in men. This article reviews the evidence of gender differences in depression across countries in terms of definition, frequency, pattern, and burden. It attempts to confirm that these differences are real and not the result of any methodological bias; it examines what factors account for these differences; and it considers the implications of these differences for dealing with the increasing public health burden of this common mental disorder.