Gewalt im Zusammenhang mit Depressionen bei heranwachsenden Mädchen, nicht jedoch bei Jungen. Obwohl Männer häufiger Gewalt ausgesetzt sind oder Zeuge von Gewalt werden, neigen Frauen im Jugendalter dazu, häufiger an Depressionen zu leiden.
Violence linked to depression in adolescent girls but not boys
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>A longitudinal study of adolescents from the Chicago metropolitan area found that in female, but not in male adolescents, higher exposure to violence was associated with more severe depression symptoms. In males, depression was associated with the expansion of the salience network of the brain and with increased connectivity of this network. The [paper](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-025-03614-x) was published in Translational Psychiatry.
>Violence exposure in this study was defined as experiencing, witnessing, or being repeatedly confronted with acts of interpersonal physical violence, such as being shoved, kicked, punched, or attacked with a weapon. It is a major risk factor for mental health problems, increasing the likelihood of all types of psychopathology.
>Childhood adversities such as physical abuse and family violence account for a substantial proportion of psychiatric disorders that emerge during adolescence. This period is especially sensitive because key social and emotional brain systems are still developing. Exposure to violence during adolescence is associated with maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, such as rumination and emotional suppression, which contribute to rising rates of depression.
>Although males are more likely to be exposed to or witness violence, females tend to show higher levels of depression during adolescence. Some evidence suggests that violence exposure places females at greater risk for internalizing problems (psychological difficulties directed inward), particularly depression and anxiety.
>One explanation is that females may be more reactive to interpersonal stressors and show stronger physiological and neural responses to threat following violence exposure. Another proposed mechanism is perceived lack of control, as stressors experienced as uncontrollable are strongly linked to depressive outcomes.
Might it have to do with feelings of helplessness? by the amount of perceived threat and feeling one wouldn’t be able to defend one self, others or be defended?
EDIT: ah, as per the article (and the summary shown here), perceived lack of control is mentioned.
I wonder how much of this difference is due to the nature of gender and how much is due to our societal environment shaping the way teens perceive themselves. Because there are a lot of horomones doing crazy stuff at adolescence, but at the same time its inescapable that kids will become aware that their expectations are different by the time theyre teens, and react accordingly when under pressure. Depending on which it is, there could be huge implications on how we treat gender expectations and norms, or none at all.