The lifetime rate of diagnosis of anxiety disorders is higher in women, with 33 percent experiencing an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, as compared with 22 percent of men. Experts believe this difference arises from a combination of hormonal fluctuations, brain chemistry and upbringing: women more often feel responsible for the happiness of others, such as their children or their spouse.
This article was originally published with the title "The Anxious Sex" in SA Mind 24, 3, 15 (July 2013)
doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0713-15c
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