Dr. Sally Winston is a clinical psychologist and co-director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Dr. Winston has been active with ADAA for over 30 years. She has served as chair of the ADAA Clinical Advisory Board and was the first recipient of the ADAA Jerilyn Ross Clinician Advocate Award.
Article2 min read
Why Are Women More Likely to Have Anxiety?
- Sally Winston PsyD
- Catherine Pittman PhD
- Oct 1, 2025
- 2
Anxiety is significantly more common in women than in men. Generally speaking, they’re about twice as likely as their male peers to experience some type of anxiety disorder – although this can be more or less pronounced depending on the specific diagnosis. Conditions like panic disorder and PTSD, for example, are most highly linked to women; social anxiety and OCD, while still more common in women, show differences that are less pronounced.
Infographic: Why Are Women More Likely to Develop Anxiety?
| Reason 1: Hormones | |
| Estrogen and progesterone | The hormones that control your monthly cycle also have an influence over your body’s fight-or-flight response. |
| Cortisol | Levels of this major stress hormone tend to fluctuate with your cycle; higher levels can be linked to anxiety disorders like OCD. |
| Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) | Women have been found to be more sensitive than men to this stress hormone found in the brains of most mammals. |
| Reason 2: Social Pressures | |
| Learned gender roles | Historically, women have primarily been responsible for taking care of the home and family. Many women grew up watching their mothers perform certain roles and modeled their own behavior after this example. |
| Pressure to “do it all” | As women continue to fight for equal rights and pay, many feel like they need to excel in every area of life: family, career, social life, and personal health. It’s easy for the pressure to become overwhelming. |
Was this article helpful?
