Common Signs of Depression in Women

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in everyday life. It does not discriminate against gender, background, or age—anyone can experience both short (acute) and long-term (chronic) depression.

Feeling depressed can impact your overall quality of life and ability to get through the day, so identifying it and getting help is imperative. Below we’re exploring how signs of depression may look a bit different in women and people assigned female at birth. 

Depression in Women 

While there are some consistent signs of depression across every gender and age—including low mood and loss of motivation—depression looks different from person to person. That said, research tells us that there are some key differences concerning how depression presents—and how often it occurs—in women and people assigned female at birth. 

“Women are two times more likely to be diagnosed with depressive symptoms than others,” says Audrey Connell, MA, LPC. “Factors to take into consideration are hormonal changes, biology, culture, external stressors, and life circumstances.”

Depression can also be triggered due to hormonal shifts surrounding the menstrual cycle, birth control, pregnancy, and menopause.

Common Signs of Depression in Women

Depression varies from person to person in terms of length, severity, cause, and presentation. Generally speaking, Connell says these are some of the common signs of depression in women: 

• Persistent low mood: This might feel like an undercurrent of sadness or hopelessness that sticks with you for the better part of the day. These feelings are often hard to push through.  
• Lack of motivation: Feeling unmotivated can prevent you from doing everyday tasks ranging from getting out of bed to showering to tending to housework to going to work. 
• Reduced interest in pleasure: Things that once brought you a lot of joy, excitement, or happiness no longer appeal to you. 
• Social withdrawal: You find yourself pulling away from others, including close friends, family, your partner, or children. 
• Exhaustion: You may experience fatigue or loss of energy with or without changes in sleep patterns, such as restlessness or a desire to sleep more.
• Poor self-esteem: Depression can affect the way you view yourself. You might experience feelings of excessive guilt or worthlessness. 
• Suicidal ideation: This isn’t always experienced with depression but it can occur. This may present as recurrent thoughts of death, overwhelming feelings that life would be better off without you in it, or that life is not worth living.

Men can also experience the above symptoms and often do. “However, men have reported a higher tendency than women to experience anger, agitation, and irritability as the primary symptom, which can be overlooked as society tends to focus on sadness as the primary symptom,” Connell says. 

What to do if you're depressed

Websites like ours, as well as social media have made information about mental health conditions, including depression, way more accessible. However, it’s important to seek professional intervention versus self-diagnosis to ensure you’re led down an appropriate treatment path. A professional can also help identify any co-conditions that haven’t yet been brought to light. 

You can reach out to your established care provider—such as a primary care doctor—or a mental health therapist who can provide ongoing support and tailored treatment options. If you don’t have a primary doctor or access to a therapist, your insurance company may be able to connect you. There are also online therapy options that provide digital care. 

Speaking with a mental health professional to explore thoughts, feelings, and behaviors—and in some cases taking medication or supplements to help manage systems—can dramatically help. That said, the path toward recovering from depression is a holistic one. 

“The most effective treatments are ones that address all aspects of an individual: physical, mental, spiritual and social,” says Connell. “Examples of this may be talk therapy, nutrition, implementing movement and exercise, meditation and breathing, medications, and/or supplements.” 

Keep in Mind

Chronic depression can wreak havoc on our lives. Recognizing that you need help and asking for it shows strength and vulnerability. Know that you aren't alone, that you can find help, and that even the smallest steps can lead to great changes.