Does gender influence response to differing psychotherapies by those with unipolar depression?

Background: There have been few studies that have specifically examined for any impact of gender on response to psychotherapy for those with depression. We therefore undertook a review and report findings. Method: A literature review was conducted by first seeking to identify studies via relevant search engines and then examining a number of secondary sources. Results: There was no clear or consistent evidence to suggest that gender has any impact on response to psychotherapy. Conclusions: The review identified relatively few studies, so limiting our capacity to draw more than provisional conclusions. As some studies of response to antidepressant drugs have suggested differential gender response, such gender differences may then be expected to reflect biological influences rather than any general tendency for gender to influence response to therapy nonspecifically. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.