Recommendations for a Better Understanding of Sex and Gender in the Neuroscience of Mental Health

Lara Marise Wierenga; Amber Ruigrok; Eira Ranheim Aksnes; Claudia Barth; Dani Beck; Sarah Burke; Arielle Crestol; Lina van Drunen; Maria Ferrara; Liisa Ann Margaret Galea; Anne-Lise Goddings; Markus Hausmann; Inka Homanen; Ineke Klinge; Ann-Marie de Lange; Lineke Geelhoed-Ouwerkerk; Anna van der Miesen; Ricarda Proppert; Carlotta Rieble; Christian Krog Tamnes; Marieke Geerte Nynke Bos

doi:10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.100283

Recommendations for a Better Understanding of Sex and Gender in the Neuroscience of Mental Health

Biol Psychiatry Glob Open Sci. 2023 Dec 30;4(2):100283. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.100283. eCollection 2024 Mar.

Authors

Lara Marise Wierenga^{1

2}, Amber Ruigrok^{3

4}, Eira Ranheim Aksnes^{5

6

7}, Claudia Barth^{5

6}, Dani Beck^{5

6

7}, Sarah Burke⁸, Arielle Crestol^{5

6}, Lina van Drunen^{1

2}, Maria Ferrara^{9

10}, Liisa Ann Margaret Galea¹¹, Anne-Lise Goddings¹², Markus Hausmann¹³, Inka Homanen^{1

2}, Ineke Klinge^{14

15}, Ann-Marie de Lange^{16

17

18}, Lineke Geelhoed-Ouwerkerk^{1

2}, Anna van der Miesen¹⁹, Ricarda Proppert²⁰, Carlotta Rieble²⁰, Christian Krog Tamnes^{5

6

7}, Marieke Geerte Nynke Bos^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
² Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
³ Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
⁴ Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
⁵ Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
⁶ NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁷ PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
⁸ Interdisciplinary Center for Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
⁹ Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Institute of Psychiatry, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
¹⁰ University Hospital Psychiatry Unit, Integrated Department of Mental Health and Addictive Behavior, University S. Anna Hospital and Health Trust, Ferrara, Italy.
¹¹ Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹² University College London Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
¹³ Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
¹⁴ Dutch Society for Gender & Health, the Netherlands.
¹⁵ Gendered Innovations at European Commission, Brussels, Belgium.
¹⁶ Laboratory for Research in Neuroimaging, Centre for Research in Neurosciences, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹⁷ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
¹⁹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
²⁰ Department of Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.

Abstract

There are prominent sex/gender differences in the prevalence, expression, and life span course of mental health and neurodiverse conditions. However, the underlying sex- and gender-related mechanisms and their interactions are still not fully understood. This lack of knowledge has harmful consequences for those with mental health problems. Therefore, we set up a cocreation session in a 1-week workshop with a multidisciplinary team of 25 researchers, clinicians, and policy makers to identify the main barriers in sex and gender research in the neuroscience of mental health. Based on this work, here we provide recommendations for methodologies, translational research, and stakeholder involvement. These include guidelines for recording, reporting, analysis beyond binary groups, and open science. Improved understanding of sex- and gender-related mechanisms in neuroscience may benefit public health because this is an important step toward precision medicine and may function as an archetype for studying diversity.

Keywords: Brain; Gender; Mental health; Neurodiverse conditions; Sex.

Publication types

Review