In 2 meta-analyses on gender differences in depression in nationally representative
samples, we advance previous work by including studies of depression diagnoses and
symptoms to (a) estimate the magnitude of the gender difference in depression across
a wide array of nations and ages; (b) use a developmental perspective to elucidate
patterns of gender differences across the life span; and (c) incorporate additional
theory-driven moderators (e.g., gender equity). For major depression diagnoses and
depression symptoms, respectively, we meta-analyzed data from 65 and 95 articles and
their corresponding national data sets, representing data from 1,716,195 and 1,922,064
people in over 90 different nations. Overall, odds ratio (OR) = 1.95, 95% confidence
interval (CI) [1.88, 2.03], and d = 0.27 [0.26, 0.29]. Age was the strongest predictor
of effect size. The gender difference for diagnoses emerged earlier than previously
thought, with OR = 2.37 at age 12. For both meta-analyses, the gender difference peaked
in adolescence (OR = 3.02 for ages 13-15, and d = 0.47 for age 16) but then declined
and remained stable in adulthood. Cross-national analyses indicated that larger gender
differences were found in nations with greater gender equity, for major depression,
but not depression symptoms. The gender difference in depression represents a health
disparity, especially in adolescence, yet the magnitude of the difference indicates
that depression in men should not be overlooked. (PsycINFO Database Record