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Sex Differences in the Differentiation of Psychiatric Symptomatology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

M. E. Briscoe
Affiliation:
General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry
J. L. Vázquez-Barquero
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Hopital Nacional Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
P. Williams
Affiliation:
General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry
J. F. Diez-Manrique
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Hopital Nacional Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
C. Peña
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Hopital Nacional Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain

Abstract

A study was conducted using data obtained from the first stage of a community survey in Spain, in which the 60-item version of the GHQ was administered to 1224 adults. Three hypotheses concerning respondents aged under 55 years were tested. The first was that in the context of a principal-components analysis, a greater proportion of the explained variance would be accounted for by the first (general) factor in women than in men. This was supported. The second hypothesis was that the intercorrelations between the GHQ-28 subscales would be greater for women than for men. This was refuted. The third hypothesis was that the differentiation between anxiety and depression would be greater in men than in women. This was supported. The differences investigated were found not to apply among respondents aged 55 years and over.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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