By Jhoo Dong-chan
Many male patients suffering from depression experience a decrease in sexual desire, while many females suffer from fatigue, according to a study released Monday.
Psychiatric teams at Kyungpook National, Seoul National and Inha university hospitals jointly analyzed 18,807 people who participated in national mental disorder surveys in 2001, 2006 and 2011.
According to the study, 3.3 percent of women and 1.5 percent of men who participated in the study suffered from depression, a similar level in other studies that the prevalence of depression among women is about twice as high as that among men.
Also, depression symptoms were different between the two genders. Female patients suffered from fatigue, hypersomnia and attempted suicide much more than male patients did.
Male patients, in the meantime, suffered from decreased sexual desire and insomnia.
“Such differences in symptoms may come from the differences in biological mechanisms of men and women,” said a team member. “When treating patients with depression, doctors must consider specific symptoms by gender.”