Objectives

At the end of this section you will be able to:

• describe the factors that may contribute to differences in the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antidepressant drugs in females compared to males.

• describe the non-pharmcological treatment options that are available for treating depression, and gender issues in accessing these.

• list/describe the gender-based barriers to accessing health care resources.

• explain the issues involved in treating depression during pregnancy and lactation.