It is estimated that about 16% of the U.S. population, or roughly 32 million people, suffer from depression, and women are typically diagnosed twice as often as men.
 
A new JAMA Psychiatry study, however, shows that when researchers looked at both traditional and alternative symptoms for depression, men and women were almost equally as likely to be depressed, according to a Medical News Today report.
 
Lead researcher Lisa A. Martin and others analyzed a national mental health survey of 3,310 women and 2,382 men and looked for alternative, “male-type” symptoms including anger attacks, aggression, substance abuse and risk taking, the report says.
 
The result was that 30.6% of men and 33.3% of women were then classified as depressed.
 
Scientific study of sex differences in depression has focused on reasons why women have a greater risk for developing depression, but the researchers said medical professionals should consider these other symptoms, the report says. The study also finds, however, that “male-type” symptoms of depression are also common in women; both men and women, then, should be screened using the traditional and alternate symptoms.
 
To learn how to avoid depression screening denials, turn to Part B News.