G ENDER AND A GE D IFFERENCES IN P SYCHOLOGICAL D ISTRESS Nicole Sagullo Psyc 221L, Fall 2012 Trinity College
P SYCHOLOGICAL D ISTRESS Distress: depressive, anxiety, and personality disorders Phillips, 2009 K6: short 6-question survey to identify psychological distress Choi & DiNitto, 2001 Kessler et al., 2002
P SYCHOLOGICAL D ISTRESS AND G ENDER Women > Men Depressive symptoms Nolen-Hoeksema, 2010 Mood and anxiety disorders Eaton et al., 2012
P SYCHOLOGICAL D ISTRESS AND A GE Young adults > Older Adults Psychological distress Brown et al., 2007 years > years Depression (MDD) Harkness et al., 2010
H YPOTHESES Main Effects Women > Men Young adults > Older Adults Interaction Effect Greater difference between young and older women
M ETHOD K6 scores: Psychological distress K6: range 0-24 G= 4.65 (SD = 4.58). Young adults v. Older Adults Young: years old Older: years old
R ESULTS Main effect for gender: significant F (1, 33588) = , p<.001, R 2 =.006, MSw = Men(M = 4.27, SD = 4.42) < women (M = 4.98, SD = 4.69)
R ESULTS Main effect for age: significant F (1, 33588) = , p<.001, R 2 =.006, MSw = year olds (M = 5.08, SD = 4.42) > year olds (M = 4.65, SD = 4.57).
R ESULTS Interaction: significant F (1, 33588) = 7.72, p<.01, R 2 =.00023, MSw =
C ONCLUSIONS Women > Men SUPPORTED Hormones/neurobiology? Societal/social influences? Young adults > Late Adults SUPPORTED Inexperienced? Greater age difference among women : SUPPORTED Hormones/neurobiological changes? Social influences on women’s perception?
I MPLICATIONS Young (18-25 year old) women= more psychological distress Men= less reported psychological distress
F UTURE R ESEARCH Psychological Distress Depression Anxiety and Mood Antisocial mannerisms Substance Abuse Age Range Greater range Different Scale
W ORKS C ITED Brown, J., Meadows, S. O., & Elder, G. r. (2007). Race-ethnic inequality and psychological distress: Depressive symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood.Developmental Psychology, 43(6), doi: / Choi, N. G. and DiNitto, M. D. (2011). Psychological Distress, Binge/Heavy Drinking, and Gender Differences among Older Adults. The American Journal on Addictions, 20: 420–428. doi: /j x Harkness, K. L., Alavi, N., Monroe, S. M., Slavich, G. M., Gotlib, I. H., & Bagby, R. (2010). Gender differences in life events prior to onset of major depressive disorder: The moderating effect of age. Journal Of Abnormal Psychology, 119(4), doi: /a Kessler, R.C., Andrews, G., Colpe, L. J., Hiripi, E., Mroczek, D.K., Normand, S.-L.T., Walters, E.E., et al. (2002). Short screening scales to monitor population prevalences and trends in non-specific psychological distress. Psychological Medicine, 32(6), 959–976. doi: /S Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2001). Gender Differences in Depression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10:173. doi: / Phillips, M. R. (2009). Is distress a symptom of mental disorders, a marker of impairment, both or neither? World Psychiatry, 8(2), 91–92.