The speech will examine the sex related differences in depressive disorders under several perspectives. The prevalence of depression to begin with, where factors underlying the female overrepresentation will be presented; then the differential access to health care, more restricted in males, will be discussed; next the gender specificities in clinical forms, suicidal behaviours and course of illness will be compared; and finally data suggesting distinctive responses to treatments, both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic, will be presented.