Allegedly women are more depressed then ever. But little is said about the depression or anxiety of women before the 1900s. Most patent medicines before the 1910 contained opium. Sometimes it was called Laudum which is tintre of opium. From the advertisements of the era, they where usually targeted at women. I can't remember the source but it estimated that 10% of women regular took these types of medicines.

The author, a doctor, says he asks the question on behalf of a young woman who was prescribed opium to treat "a slight nervous irritation." She's become "a bound and servile slave" to the drug, and alarmed to realize she must increase her dose to avoid feeling sick.

So she was prescribed opium since she was suffering from what would now be called anxiety.

Jones says some doctors dismissed patients who were too poor to see a doctor, especially women and immigrants, and purchased opium directly from a pharmacist

Addiction was primarily among women.

Twelve-year-olds might stop at a druggist to pick up a bottle for their mother.

Son go fetch me a bottle of opium, mommy is feeling a touch of the nerves.

Oliver says women, particularly those in rural areas, appear to be at greatest risk, which he blames more on moral than physical causes.

And again most of the users are women.

http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/08/01/opium-history-addiction