on and a greater likelihood of seeking help for depressionö than men (Wilhelm, Roy, Mitchell, Brownhill, and Parker, 2002, p. 45). However, the female preponderance for depressive disorders is not universal, with gender differences tending to diminish after menopause and appearing slight or nonexistent in circumstances of equal social opportunity. Wilhelm, et al (2002, pp. 45-46) also point out that women are known to report more symptoms than men, to have presumed ôbiological vulnerabilityö because of hormonal influences during the childbearing years, and increased vulnerability because of the greater prevalence of anxiety disorders accompanying or preceding depression. Men may not be so readily identified as being depressed using conventional case-finding measures or may utilize ôcoping strategiesö that are either more effective or not perceived as depression-related (Wilhelm, et al, 2002, p. 46).
Harris (2001, p. 17) suggests that recent advances in the biopsychosocial understanding of depression have elaborated the view that ôvirtually
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