Sex differences in late-life depression

Sonnenberg CM, Beekman ATF, Deeg DJH, van Tilburg W. Sex differences in late‐life depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000: 101: 286–292. © Munksgaard 2000. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess sex differences in depression in later life. Method: In a random, age and sex‐stratified co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica 2000-04, Vol.101 (4), p.286-292
Main Authors: Sonnenberg, C. M., Beekman, A. T. F., Deeg, D. J. H., van Tilburg, W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition Disorders - epidemiology
community
Depression
Depression - diagnosis
Depression - epidemiology
Depression - psychology
elderly
Female
Health Status
Humans
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Mood disorders
Prevalence
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Risk Factors
sex difference
Sex Distribution
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Summary:Sonnenberg CM, Beekman ATF, Deeg DJH, van Tilburg W. Sex differences in late‐life depression. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000: 101: 286–292. © Munksgaard 2000. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess sex differences in depression in later life. Method: In a random, age and sex‐stratified community sample of 3056 older Dutch people (55–85 years) the prevalence, symptom‐reporting and risk factors associated with depression in later life were studied. Depression was measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES‐D). Bivariate, multivariate and factor analyses were used. Results: Prevalence of depression in women was almost twice as high as in men. Controlling for age and competing risk factors reduced the relative risk for females with more than half. Symptom‐patterns in men and women were very much alike. Sex differences in associations with risk factors were small, but exposure to these risk factors was considerably higher in females. Conclusion: Very little evidence for a typical ‘female depression’ was found. Female preponderance in depression was related to a greater exposure to risk factors.
ISSN:0001-690X
1600-0447
DOI:10.1034/j.1600-0447.2000.101004286.x