New research provides evidence that women tend to have greater sensitivity to unpredictable threat compared to men. The findings, published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, could help explain why anxiety disorders disproportionately impact women.
“Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent forms of mental illness and disproportionately impact women relative to men. Yet, we still do not know what mechanism(s) contribute to this gender difference,” said study author Brady Nelson, an assistant professor at Stony Brook University and director of the Laboratory for Clinical Affective Neuroscience.
“There is growing evidence that an increased intolerance of ambiguity, uncertainty, and unpredictability is a key mechanism that contributes to the development of anxiety disorders and symptoms. We were interested in whether there is a gender difference in this putative mechanism that might help explain the increased prevalence of anxiety symptoms in women.”
In the study, 76 psychology students completed an assessment of dysphoria and panic symptoms before undergoing a task to measure startle potentiation in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable threats.
For the task, the researchers placed electrodes on the participants’ wrist and had them watch a countdown on a computer screen. The screen informed them whether they would be receiving “no shock”, “shock at 1”, or “shock at any time.” During the countdowns, the participants were sometimes also subjected to startling bursts of white noise delivered through headphones.
The researchers also placed electrodes on the participants’ faces. However, instead of delivering shocks, these electrodes were used assess the startle reflex by measuring the activation of muscles around the eye — a technique known as startle eye blink electromyography.
Male and female participants did not differ in their startle reflex during the no threat countdown. But the startle reflex was potentiated in anticipation of predictable and unpredictable shocks more for women than their male counterparts. Increased startle potentiation in anticipation of unpredictable (but not predictable) shocks was in turn associated with greater panic symptoms.
“In our study, women, compared to men, demonstrated greater defensive motivation in anticipation of unpredictable threat, which in turn was related to greater panic symptoms. These results support a heightened sensitivity to unpredictable threat as one potential mechanism that contributes to greater anxiety symptoms in women,” Nelson told PsyPost.
But as with all research, the study includes some caveats.
“The present study was conducted in a relatively small sample of college students and requires replication. In addition, the present study does not explain what causes potential gender differences in sensitivity to unpredictable threat. For example, we don’t know whether it is due to biological/genetic differences, environmental differences, or a combination of both,” Nelson explained.
“Anxiety disorders and symptoms are complex and multifactorial in nature. A greater intolerance of ambiguity, uncertainty, and unpredictability is one of likely several factors that contribute to this form of mental illness. Identifying these mechanisms is critical to early identification, prevention, and treatment efforts.”
The study, “Gender differences in anxiety: The mediating role of sensitivity to unpredictable threat“, was authored by Kreshnik Burania and Brady D. Nelson.
(Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay)