WEDNESDAY, Sept. 29, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Gender matters when it comes to how people deal with mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder.
The difference between men and women may be evident in how they react to such disorders, which symptoms are most prominent, and whether or not they seek help.
For example, women are twice as likely to suffer post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than men, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Nearly twice as many women as men suffer depression and men are less likely to seek help for depression.
When depressed, men are more likely to report a loss of interest in daily activities and feelings of irritability than feelings of despair and hopelessness.
You can learn more and get checked for any of these four disorders on National Depression Screening Day. This free event will be held on Oct. 7 at about 7,000 sites across the United States.
At the screening sites, you fill out a questionnaire that gauges your likelihood for these four mental health disorders. You'll be able to get more information for yourself or friends or loved ones. If necessary, you can also speak to a mental health professional.
To find the nearest National Depression Screening Day site near you, go to Screening for Mental Health Inc. or call them at 1-800-520-6373.
More information
The American Psychiatric Association outlines warning signs of mental illness.
