What Causes Anxiety in Women: Risk Factors and Hormone Links

Women are more likely than men to have an anxiety disorder. In one large US survey of about 20,000 adults, 33.3% of women and 22% of men had had one at some point in their lives. The same study found anxiety disorders were more disabling in women, not only more common.

What causes anxiety in women isn't one thing, and nobody has fully explained the gap. The NHS says generalised anxiety disorder does not usually have an obvious cause. What's known is a set of risk factors, plus a few hormone-linked conditions that can cause anxiety or make it worse. Those conditions are worth ruling out, because some are very treatable.

One caution about the numbers. The survey covered US adults and was published in 2011, so treat the exact percentages as a snapshot rather than today's rates.

The Risk Factors With Evidence

The NHS lists the things that make generalised anxiety disorder more likely. They include close relatives with anxiety disorders, depression or other mental health conditions, and a history of stressful or traumatic experiences.

A painful long-term health condition, such as arthritis, raises the risk too. So does a history of drug or alcohol misuse, or already having another anxiety disorder such as panic disorder. The NHS also notes that GAD is more common in women than men.

None of these are about character. Anxiety that runs in a family, or that started after a frightening year, is a recognised pattern. It isn't a sign you handle stress badly.

Hormone-Linked Conditions to Rule Out

Several conditions that mainly or only affect women list anxiety as a symptom. If your anxiety has a pattern, one of these may be part of it.

An overactive thyroid causes nervousness, anxiety and irritability. A blood test can check for it.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a severe form of PMS. The NHS says it's linked to high sensitivity to hormone changes, so symptoms follow the normal rise and fall of the cycle. If your anxiety builds in the days before your period and lifts once it starts, how your cycle affects anxiety covers how to track it.

Perimenopause can bring low mood and anxiety. Polycystic ovary syndrome, which the NHS now calls PMOS, lists mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety among its symptoms. After having a baby, anxiety can also take a specific form, covered in postpartum anxiety vs postpartum depression.

Where Stress and the Mental Load Fit

The mental load, all the planning and remembering that keeps a home running, is often blamed for women's anxiety. The honest position is that this link hasn't been measured well, so it's a reasonable idea rather than a proven cause.

That doesn't make it less real day to day. If you recognise yourself in the mental load that exhausts women, sharing or dropping some of it is worth doing for its own sake. Just don't expect it to fix an anxiety disorder on its own.

The same goes for anxiety that seems to arrive from nowhere. Feeling anxious for no reason sometimes turns out to have a cause that isn't obvious yet, including one of the conditions above.

When to Get Help

See a GP if you think you might have GAD, or if anxiety is affecting your work, sleep or relationships. Mention any pattern you've noticed with your cycle, a recent birth, or changes to your periods in your forties. Ask whether a thyroid blood test makes sense.

The usual first treatment for GAD is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with the support of a therapist. Medicine, usually an SSRI antidepressant, is another option. In England, adults can refer themselves to an NHS talking therapies service without seeing a GP first.

Get urgent help if anxiety comes with thoughts of harming yourself. In the UK, call Samaritans free on 116 123, any time. In the US, call or text 988.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Do Women Have Higher Rates of Anxiety Than Men?

Nobody has a complete answer. Family history, stressful or traumatic experiences and long-term health conditions all raise the risk. Hormone-linked conditions such as PMDD and perimenopause can also cause or worsen anxiety in women specifically.

Can Hormones Cause Anxiety in Women?

They can play a part. PMDD is linked to high sensitivity to normal hormone changes, perimenopause can bring anxiety, and an overactive thyroid causes nervousness and irritability. A GP can check your thyroid with a blood test and help you track any link to your cycle.

What Is the Best Treatment for Anxiety in Women?

For generalised anxiety disorder, the NHS usually suggests talking therapy such as CBT first, with medicine as another option. If a condition like an overactive thyroid or PMDD is involved, treating that matters too.