---
title: Do antidepressants work differently in women than men? | Niyora
description: Some evidence suggests they may. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear more effective and better tolerated in women than older types, and estrogen may enhance
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/special-issues-related-to-the-treatment-of-depression-in-women-2003/
---

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- Do antidepressants work differently in women than men?

Review, 2003

# Do antidepressants work differently in women than men?

Some evidence suggests they may. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear more effective and better tolerated in women than older types, and estrogen may enhance their effect. However, more research is needed.

 Moderate study design

Review article covering research in women; no specific study population

## What they did

This is a review article examining research on depression in women and how antidepressant treatment differs between men and women.

## What they found

Serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear more effective than older tricyclic antidepressants in treating depressive disorders in women. Women generally experience more side effects from tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors than men do. Estrogen appears to enhance antidepressant response in postmenopausal women receiving estrogen replacement therapy.

## What it means for you

Antidepressant treatment may need to be approached differently in women than men, and hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle may affect how depression develops and how antidepressants work. The main limitation is that this is a review, not new research, and many questions about hormones and treatment remain unanswered.

## About the study

Original title Special issues related to the treatment of depression in women Authors Yonkers KA Journal The Journal of clinical psychiatry Year 2003 Study design Review Read the paper [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14700449/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14700449/)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Major depressive disorder](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-major-depression/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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