Are men and women equal in front of depression?

The speech will examine the sex related differences in depressive disorders under several perspectives. The prevalence of depression to begin with, where factors underlying the female overrepresentation will be presented; then the differential access to health care, more restricted in males, will be discussed; next the gender specificities in clinical forms, suicidal behaviours and course of illness will be compared; and finally data suggesting distinctive responses to treatments, both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic, will be presented.