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Psychology 320: Psychology of Gender and Sex Differences

Lecture 59

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Office Hour InvitationsMarch 23rd, 11:30-12:30 Kenny 2517

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Physical and Mental Health:

2. Are there sex differences in depression?

1. What factors account for sex differences in health? (continued)

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By the end of today’s class, you should be able to:

1. review gender-related factors that contribute to sex differences in mortality and morbidity.

2. define the nurturant role hypothesis.

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4. discuss sex differences in rates of depression.

3. define the terms agency, unmitigated agency, communion, and unmitigated communion and discuss their relationships with physical health.

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(c) The Nurturant Role

Females are socialized to take care of others. This may contribute to higher rates of morbidity among females (Gove, 1984).

3. Gender-Related Factors (continued)

What factors account for sex differences in health? (continued)

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(d) Gender-Related Traits

Agency is associated with greater physical activity, greater perceived health, fewer physical symptoms, and better health (Danoff-Burg et al., 2002; Ghaed & Gallo, 2006).

Unmitigated agency is associated with feelings of invulnerability and greater risk-taking, both of which contribute to illness and death (Danoff-Burg et al., 2002; Ghaed & Gallo, 2006; Yu & Xie, 2008).

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Communion is unrelated to physical health (Ghaed & Gallo, 2006; Helgeson, 1994).

Unmitigated communion is associated with poorer health practices, more physical symptoms, and poorer health (Ghaed & Gallo, 2006; Helgeson et al., 2007; Yu & Xie, 2008).

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Are there sex differences in depression?

• According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), major depressive disorder (i.e., clinical depression) is characterized by five or more of the following symptoms, present for at least 2 weeks:

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Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day.*

Markedly diminished interest in activities.*

Significant weight loss.

Insomnia.

Psychomotor agitation or retardation.

Fatigue or loss of energy.

Feelings of worthlessness.

Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness.

Recurrent thoughts of death.

* One of these symptoms must be included in the five symptoms.

DSM-IV-TR Criteria for Major Depressive Disorder (APA, 2000)

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Sample Items from the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977)

1. I did not like eating; my appetite was poor.2. I felt I could not shake off the blues even with the help of my family or friends.3. I felt that I was just as good as other people.*4. I had trouble keeping my mind on what I was doing.5. I felt depressed.6. I felt that everything I did was an effort.7. I thought my life had been a failure.8. My sleep was restless.9. I felt lonely.10. People were unfriendly.11. I enjoyed life.*12. I had crying spells.13. I felt sad.14. I felt that people disliked me.15. I could not get “going.”

* Reverse-scored items.

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• Females are more likely than males to suffer from depression (Culbertson, 1997; Hasin et al., 2005; Kessler, 2003; Kessler et al., 2003):

In the general population, females are two times more likely than males to report depressive symptoms.

In clinical samples, females are two to four times more likely than males to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

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• Significant sex differences in rates of major depressive disorder emerge in adolescence, peak in young

adulthood, and subsequently decrease, with the elderly showing a minimal sex difference in depression:

• 6% of Canadian females and 3% of Canadian males suffer from major depressive disorder (Statistics

Canada, 2001).

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CD

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CDI (Depression) Scores for Girls and Boys as a Function of Age

(Twenge and Nolen-Hoeksema, 2002)

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FemalesMales

Per

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Rates of Depression in Past Year by Sex and Age (Statistics Canada, 2001)

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Physical and Mental Health:

2. Are there sex differences in depression?

1. What factors account for sex differences in health? (continued)