The first aim of this paper is to provide an overview of studies that have examined gender differences in two basic personality traits - neuroticism and psychoticism. Selected studies were conducted on samples from non-clinical populations. The results indicate a higher level of neuroticism in women whereas a higher degree of psychoticism in men. A high level of neuroticism may be an indicator of anxiety disorders and/or depression, while a high degree of psychoticism may be associated with antisocial and borderline personality disorders as well as schizophrenia and similar disorders. Therefore, the second aim of the paper was to present relevant research where the prevalence of these disorders in men and women and the gender specificity of their symptomatology were examined. Anxiety disorders, depression and borderline personality disorder are more common in women, while antisocial disorder is more common in men. There was also a slightly higher prevalence of schizophrenia in men, whose negative symptoms were more severe and more frequent than in women. On the other hand, have more pronounced affective symptoms are more pronounced in women.

Review paper