Study Finds Men More Likely Than Women to Develop Substance Use Disorders

Men are more likely than women to develop substance use disorders, while women are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression, a new study finds.

The study of more than 43,000 adults looked at the prevalence of different types of mental illness by gender. The researchers report in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology that men are more likely to externalize emotions, which leads to behavior that is aggressive, impulsive, noncompliant and coercive. Women with anxiety disorders are more likely to internalize emotions, leading to depression, loneliness and withdrawal, according to Medical News Today.

The researchers say the findings point to the need for gender-specific prevention and treatment efforts for mental illness.