Do you know that gender bias occurs in the treatment of psychological disorders?

Part 1

We would all agree that there is some level of stress in everyone’s life. The stress response may be quite similar for each of us; however, there are distinct differences in the way women and men experience and respond to stress.

In your exploration of these concepts, respond to the following:

• Looking beyond the United States, do women live longer than men globally? Lifestyle differences may account for some differences in longevity and mortality rates. What are some of the differences in gender variations around the world? How do they impact gender, health, and longevity?
• What are some coping strategies?
• How does the social support system play a role in gender longevity? Are there gender differences in violent deaths? Validate your response with supporting research.

Justify your answers with appropriate reasoning and research.

Part 2

Do you know that gender bias occurs in the treatment of psychological disorders? Doctors are more likely to diagnose depression in women compared to men, even when both women and men have similar scores on standardized measures of depression or present with identical symptoms. Men are also more likely (more than three times) to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder than women (Leedom, 2007).

Read the following two case studies in which the gender is not identified.

Case Study A

Client X is a thirty-year-old parent of a new child (second child). X has a history of physical and sexual abuse as a child. X earned a General Educational Development (GED) at the age of twenty and has had intermittent employment, with the longest job lasting eight months. X’s mother has a history of untreated depression. As a teenager (likely to deal with the symptoms resulting from the trauma X experienced), X began drinking and smoking marijuana. At twenty-five, X began using heroin. X has been psychiatrically hospitalized three times following a suicide attempt at the age of sixteen and recurring suicidal thoughts. X frequently cuts self as a release and sometimes cuts too deep. X is facing eviction and has limited treatment. Current diagnoses are depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and polysubstance abuse. There is no program in which X can receive comprehensive integrated treatment for both disorders. X has recently been ordered to complete an assessment at your agency and to enter and complete a batterers’ intervention program as a result of a recent domestic violence arrest in which X has been identified as the perpetrator.