The differences in psychological impacts reported by men and women are vast. Though there is overlap between the sexes, research has shown that men and women experience different types of mental health issues more prevalently than the other sex. Moreover, previous studies have identified several external factors that increase or diminish both genders’ vulnerability to mental health issues but also internal protective mechanisms which can be used to combat them. This essay will discuss these differences, as well as highlighting their potential sources and remedies.

To begin with, women tend to experience more instances of depression than men. In fact, nearly twice as many US women report having experienced depression within the last year (17%) compared to their male counterparts (9%). Similarly, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more prevalent among females at 10% compared to 5% for males. It appears that this discrepancy may come from a combination of cultural influences such as gender norms around emotionality and societal expectations placed upon women that make it easier for them to become overwhelmed when presented with difficult situations or emotionally traumatic experiences; this would explain why PTSD rates are particularly high among female veterans who tend to face additional challenges due to sexism within military culture.