A new brochure put out by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to raise awareness about issues of depression points out the fact that women are twice as likely than men to experience depression at some time during their lives. It also notes that there are many women-specific causes of depression which help to make this fact true. One of those factors is infertility.
There are differences between unique populations of women in terms of who is more likely to suffer from depression. However, it remains true that women are twice as likely as men to be depressed regardless of their specific demographics. That points to the fact that women's issues are likely a major cause in depression.
Infertility can be a source of depression in many ways. It can make a woman feel like a failure in her role as a wife. It can be a source of stress which can exacerbate depression. And treatment for it can cause hormonal fluctuations which can unintentionally result in depression.
Because depression is such a serious issue, it's something that you should keep an eye out for in your own life. Speak to your fertility treatment doctor if you find that it's something which is causing problems for you.
Question of the Day: What other factors cause women to be more at risk of depression than their male counterparts?
