Research just affirmed that stress creates different responses from men and women. Lead researcher Dr. JJ Wang showed how men tend to follow the “fight-or-flight” approaches to stress … while women tend to “tend-and-befriend.”
Check out today’s study with details in ScienceDaily to see how 
differences were determined through heart rates, cortisol levels, participants’ described stress levels, and regional cerebral blood flow differences.
The findings showed that women required longer to get past stress reactions, while men get higher levels of cortisol – the stress hormone.
"Women have twice the rate of depression and anxiety disorders compared to men," according to Dr. Wang. "Knowing that women respond to stress by increasing activity in brain regions involved with emotion, and that these changes last longer than in men, may help us begin to explain the gender differences in the incidence of mood disorders." What do you think?
Interesting research … since we now know that stress literally shrinks the human brain. Have you noticed a difference between the way men and women handle stress at work?
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/07/what_is_cortisol_and_why_shoul.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/07/what_is_serotonin_and_why_shou.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/05/bank_any_serotonin_today.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/05/the_magic_dose_of_serotonin.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/10/seritonin_builders_for_better.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/07/chemicals_to_refuel_when_work.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/08/tone_to_the_finish_line.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/08/stick_a_neuron_in_your_head_an.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/10/i_just_needed_to_vent.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/07/problems_that_spark_solutions.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2006/09/10_practices_that_boost_your_b.html
http://www.brainbasedbusiness.com/2007/10/ten_distinctives_in_a_brain_ba.html
This is an intersting study on depression and gender. I've read about the impact of stress hormones on the brain but didn't know that cortisol levels for this medical condition vary for both sexes. Consequently, recent research pointed out the role of anti-depressants in promoting the growth of new brain cells and counter the effects of chronic stress on the brain's hippocampus regions.
Posted by: flax seed | November 20, 2007 9:17 AM | Permalink to Comment