Gender is a major determinant of mental health, influencing the risk of exposure to mental disorders, their clinical manifestations, and access to care, necessitating an integrated and intersectional approach.
Key Findings
Background
Women are overrepresented in internalized mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and social media addiction.
The paper categorizes depression, anxiety, and social media addiction as 'internalized disorders' in which women are overrepresented.
This gender disparity in internalized disorders is identified as a key clinical specificity requiring gender-sensitive approaches.
The finding is framed within the broader context of gender as a determinant of mental health risk and clinical manifestation.
Background
Men are overrepresented in externalized mental disorders, including substance use disorders, suicide, and gambling disorder, as well as norms of toxic masculinity.
The paper categorizes substance use disorders, suicide, and gambling disorder as 'externalized disorders' in which men are overrepresented.
Toxic masculinity norms are explicitly linked to this pattern of externalized disorders in men.
This male-specific pattern is identified as a clinical specificity requiring gender-sensitive care.
Background
The Gender Equality Index 2025 shows stagnation in the field of health.
The Gender Equality Index 2025 is cited as evidence of lack of progress in health-related gender equality.
This stagnation is described as highlighting 'the urgency of integrating a gender-sensitive and intersectional perspective.'
The index finding is used to underscore the need to address specific individual needs, especially in the face of emerging challenges.
Background
Gender influences not only the risk of exposure to mental disorders but also their clinical manifestations and access to care.
The paper identifies three distinct domains where gender acts as a determinant: risk of exposure, clinical manifestations, and access to care.
This three-dimensional influence of gender is presented as a core rationale for an integrated approach.
The article draws on normative frameworks developed by the UN and WHO to support this position.
Background
The article presents key principles of the normative framework on gender and mental health developed by the UN and WHO, integrating clinical specificities across different contexts.
The normative framework is attributed jointly to the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
The article integrates 'clinical specificities in different contexts' into this framework.
An intersectional perspective is advocated to meet the specific needs of each individual.
What This Means
This research article examines how gender shapes mental health outcomes, arguing that being a woman or a man (and related social norms) affects which mental health conditions people are more likely to experience, how those conditions appear clinically, and whether people can access appropriate care. The authors note that women tend to be more affected by conditions like depression, anxiety, and problematic social media use, while men are more commonly affected by substance use disorders, gambling problems, and suicide, partly driven by social norms around masculinity. The Gender Equality Index 2025 is cited as showing that progress in health-related gender equality has stalled.
This research suggests that mental health care and policy need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and instead adopt what the authors call a 'gender-sensitive and intersectional perspective.' This means considering not just biological sex but also how gender interacts with other aspects of a person's identity and social context. The article draws on frameworks established by the United Nations and the World Health Organization to outline what such an approach should look like in clinical practice.
The practical implication of this work is that clinicians, policymakers, and health systems should tailor mental health assessment, treatment, and service access to account for gender-related differences. Ignoring these differences may result in missed diagnoses or inadequate care, particularly as new challenges—such as the mental health impacts of social media—continue to emerge and may affect men and women differently.
Achab S. (2026). [Mental health and gender : towards an integrated and intersectional approach].. Revue medicale suisse. https://doi.org/10.53738/REVMED.2026.22.975.49152