Gender-related endocrinological dysfunction and mental disorders

In this paper, we review updated data on sex and gender differences in stress reactivity, concerning the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, endocrinological dysfunction and vulnerability to major psychiatric disorders, in a stress-diathesis approach. Mainly schizophrenia and affective disorders are discussed, according to recent investigation, in terms of early determinants of stress reactivity, the interplay of genetic expression and gender role, their responsibility in biological modulation and their hypothetical contribution to explain gender differences in prevalence and clinical aspects of mental disorders