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Sex differences in mental illness: a community study of the influence of physical health and sociodemographic factors

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Summary

This paper examines sex differences in psychiatric morbidity, using data from a community sample. The PSE-CATEGO-ID system was used to evaluate psychopathology. Six sociodemographic factors and physical illness were taken as independent variables. Females exhibit both a significantly higher psychiatric morbidity than males and a predominance of syndromes closely related to depression (SD; OD syndromes) and anxiety (GA; SA; TE; IT syndromes). Logistic modelling analysis, carried out separately for each sex, yielded different models. Psychiatric illness in men was best predicted by physical illness, unemployment and the interaction between the two. In contrast, physical illness emerged, in women, as the only factor exerting significant effects on psychiatric morbidity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Psychiatry Research Unit of Cantabria, University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla”, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain

    J. L. Vázquez-Barquero, J. F. Diez Manrique, J. Muñoz, J. Menendez Arango, L. Gaite & S. Herrera

  2. MRC Social and Community Psychiatric Unit, The Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

    G. J. Der

Authors
  1. J. L. Vázquez-Barquero
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  2. J. F. Diez Manrique
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  3. J. Muñoz
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  4. J. Menendez Arango
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  5. L. Gaite
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  6. S. Herrera
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  7. G. J. Der
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Vázquez-Barquero, J.L., Manrique, J.F.D., Muñoz, J. et al. Sex differences in mental illness: a community study of the influence of physical health and sociodemographic factors. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 27, 62–68 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00788507

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00788507

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