Crying as a gendered indicator of depression.

Crying is a gendered activity; women in the general population are known to cry more than men. However, crying is also used as a sign of depression. Its use may explain some of the discrepancy in rates of depression in men and women. We suggest that crying is an invalid indicator because of its gendered status and should be removed from the diagnostic criteria for depression. Men may show other symptoms when depressed more than women, such as aggression and irritability. The inclusion of crying items in depression instruments may therefore introduce a gender bias in the assessment of depression.