Depression Lead Women to Drinking and Sexual Promiscuity

More than 15 million women have suffered mental health problems of some kind, and are twice as likely as men to be depressed, the study said.

Depression can be highly damaging, leading women to engage in “self-destructive” behaviour such as drinking, sexual promiscuity and building up debt, according to the report, released by support group Platform 51, formerly the YWCA.

The group called on ministers to review the “over-reliance” on anti-depressant drugs to treat mild and moderate mental health problems and to make counselling and psychotherapy more easily available to women.

The study suggested girls and women were almost twice as likely as boys and men to suffer from depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders and low self-esteem.

The report, Women like me: supporting wellbeing in girls and women, warned there was evidence that women’s mental health was getting worse.