Women’s Health

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a significant mental health problem with deleterious effects, including poor health related quality of life and long-term disability. Epidemiological studies suggest that women in particular are more vulnerable to an increased risk of depression, relative to men, beginning at the time of menarche through the menopausal transition. Depression comorbid with chronic medical conditions can often exacerbate the risk of depression, as well as complicate its recognition and treatment. Depression comorbidity can lead to negative outcomes, including progression of the chronic medical condition, poor treatment adherence, and mortality. In this chapter, we explore chronic medical conditions that are associated with a greater prevalence of depression in women relative to men, including type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis. An overview of epidemiology is followed by a discussion of theories explaining depression comorbidity and approaches to recognizing and treating depression in the context of these chronic medical conditions. Finally, we discuss future research directions with the goal of informing clinical research and practice.