U.S. health care expenditures for mental disorders were 65% higher for women than men in 2008, according to a report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Total spending among adults that year was $37.3 billion for women and $22.6 billion for men, making mental disorders the third most costly condition for women and the fifth most costly for men. Other conditions with large discrepancies between women and men were COPD/asthma (51% higher in women), osteoarthritis (44% higher in women), and back problems (40% higher in women), the AHRQ reported.

Heart disease was the leading source of expenditure for both women ($43.6 billion) and men ($47.3 billion), while cancer was second – $37.7 billion for women and $33.7 billion for men.

The report used data for the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized adult population from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, which is cosponsored by the AHRQ and the National Center for Health Statistics.