Despite these limitations, the NESARC constitutes the largest nationally representative survey to date to include information on psychiatric disorders, clinical course, risk factors, and treatment-utilization patterns among individuals with AD. Overall, these findings suggest that there may be gender-specific pathways that distinctly influence the development, course, and treatment for AD. It appears that after adjusting for population characteristics, women with AD had a higher risk for externalizing disorders than men, have more risk factors for AD, and are less likely to seek treatment for AD. Developing strategies to reduce the effects of stigmatization and a lack of motivation are important steps in improving the access to treatment for AD.
