Gender differences in depression detection: A comparison of clinician diagnosis and standardized assessment.

Abstract

The extent to which medical and mental health clinicians (n = 523) tend to diagnose depression differentially on the basis of the gender of their patients (n = 23,101) is assessed using independent measures of depression: (a) the clinician's diagnosis of clinically meaningful depression, and (b) standardized assessment of depressive disorder using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). Among patients who met DIS criteria for depressive disorder, medical practitioners were significantly less likely to identify depression in men than in women. Among patients who did not meet DIS criteria for depressive disorder, mental health specialists were significantly more likely to identify depression in women than in men. These findings remained after adjustment for patient demographic and other clinically relevant factors, including depression severity.On the basis of strong and consistent evidence, women appear to have higher rates of depression than do men. Reported

Screening for psychiatric morbidity in the population - a comparison of the GHQ-12 and self-reported medication use

“…This is likely to be linked to a combination of factors related to the differential use of primary care services aligned with treatment-or help-seeking behaviours and a greater propensity to report emotional and psychological symptoms. Primary care utilisation is related to age and sex, as older people and women are more likely to attend their GP, and women are also more likely to present to mental health services [46][47][48][49]. This is supported by the higher proportion of women than men with GHQ-12 scores of 4 or more on medication (45.4% and 35.7% respectively).…”

Needs of women patients with mental illness

“…For example, in a sample that met standardised criteria for depression, doctors were more likely to diagnose depression in women than in men (Potts et al, 1991). Looking at personality disorder diagnoses, a case vignette study showed that clinicians used the diagnosis narcissistic personality disorder more in men and histrionic personality disorder more in women (Adler et al, 1990).…”

Key Determinants of the Health and Well-Being of Men and Boys

“…For example, men and boys are underdiagnosed for those mental health disorders that are more commonly diagnosed among women and girls. Perhaps because major depression is diagnosed twice as often in women as in men (APA, 1994), mental health clinicians are less likely to correctly diagnose depression in men (Borowsky et al, 2000;Potts, Burnam, & Wells, 1991); this may contribute to a suicide rate that is up to 12 times higher for men than it is for women (DHHS, 1993). Similarly, more women than men are diagnosed with eating disorders; however, some populations of men-notably men involved in athletics and gay or bisexual men-appear to be at increased risk for such disorders (Andersen, 1999;Gomez, 1991;Hausenblas & Carron, 1999).…”