Abstract from a Scholarly Article

Read this for my unit today --

"Depression in Women vs Men. Women have an increased incidence of despression compared with men, by a ratio of 2:1. Moreover, not only clinical depression, but also more subtle dysthymic traits have had a higher prevalence in women after the onset of puberty. In evolutionary terms, if depression is viewed as conducive to staying out of danger in a sheltered place, it may have made sense historically for women to manifest more of that trait than men. Women have traditionally been involved in child-bearing and rearing, whereas men have traditionally been the providers of food, material resources, and protection. Dysthymic traits would have kept a woman sheltered from danger to bear and care for children; whereas a dysthymic man would have been impaired in performing his main role as a provider and protector. As such, traits predisposing to dysthymia may have been selected for in women, and selected against in men over time.

Thus, having read that, my friend sarcastically opined that that is the reason why men are more attracted to depressed women. Because they have been selected for and are evolutionarily more adapt at rearing kids. HAHA. Some of these articles purporting the evolutionary perspectives of things are really weird.