Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

524 Chapter 
15 
Psychological Disorders
The various theories of depression have not provided a complete answer to an 
elusive question that has dogged researchers: Why does depression occur in approx-
imately twice as many women as men—a pattern that is similar across a variety of 
cultures? 
One explanation suggests that the stress women experience may be greater than 
the stress men experience at certain points in their lives—such as when a woman 
must simultaneously earn a living and be the primary caregiver for her children. In 
addition, women have a higher risk for physical and sexual abuse, typically earn 
lower wages than men, report greater unhappiness with their marriages, and gener-
ally experience chronic negative circumstances. Furthermore, women and men may 
respond to stress with different coping mechanisms. For instance, men may abuse 
drugs, while women respond with depression (Holden, 2005; Nolen-Hoeksema, 2007; 
Hyde, Mezulis, & Abramson, 2008). 
Biological factors may also explain some women’s depression. For example, the 
rate of female depression begins to rise during puberty, so some psychologists believe 
that hormones make women more vulnerable to the disorder. In addition, 25–50% of 
women who take oral contraceptives report symptoms of depression, and depression 
that occurs after the birth of a child is linked to hormonal changes. Finally, structural 
differences in men’s and women’s brains that we discussed in the neuroscience and 
behavior modules may be related to gender differences in depression (Holden, 2005; 
Graham, Bancroft, & Doll, 2007; Solomon & Herman, 2009). 
Ultimately, it is clear that researchers have discovered no defi nitive solutions to 
the puzzle of depression, and there are many alternative explanations. Most likely, a 
complex interaction of several factors causes mood disorders.
Schizophrenia 
Things that relate, the town of Antelope, Oregon, Jonestown, Charlie Manson, the 
Hillside Strangler, the Zodiac Killer, Watergate, King’s trial in L.A., and many more. In 
the last 7 years alone, over 23 Star Wars scientists committed suicide for no apparent 
reason. The AIDS cover-up, the conference in South America in 87 had over 1,000 
doctors claim that insects can transmit it. To be able to read one’s thoughts and place 
thoughts in one’s mind without the person knowing it’s being done. Realization is a 
reality of bioelectromagnetic control, which is thought transfer and emotional control, 
recording individual brainwave frequencies of thought, sensation, and emotions. (Nolen-
Heoksema, 2007, pp. 385–386).
This excerpt illustrates the efforts of a person with schizophrenia, one of the more 
severe forms of mental disturbance, to communicate. People with schizophrenia 
account for by far the largest percentage of those hospitalized for psychological dis-
orders. They are also in many respects the least likely to recover from their diffi culties.