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01-10-2016 | Original Article

Sex-related differences in frequency and perception of stressful life events during adolescence

Authors: Bianca Raffaelli, Nicole Strache, Caroline Parchetka, Eric Artiges, Tobias Banaschewski, Arun Bokde, Uli Bromberg, Christian Buechel, Anna Cattrell, Patricia Conrod, Herta Flor, Vincent Frouin, Hugh Garavan, Angela Heinrich, Andreas Heinz, Bernd Ittermann, Sarah Jurk, Herve Lemaitre, Jean-Luc Martinot, Eva Mennigen, Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot, Dimitri Papadopoulos, Tomáš Paus, Luise Poustka, Michael N. Smolka, Nora C. Vetter, Henrik Walter, Rob Whelan, Gunter Schumann, Juergen Gallinat

Published in: Journal of Public Health | Issue 5/2016

Abstract

Aim

Stressful life events and individual stress experience are important risk factors for the development of physical and mental disorders. One of the modulating factors determining interindividual differences in stress experience is the person’s gender. In the current study, we investigated sex-related differences in the frequency and perception of stressful life events during adolescence, a period characterized by particularly high stress levels.

Subject and methods

We examined 1,657 14-year-old adolescents who were recruited as part of the IMAGEN study, a European multicenter research project on mental well-being of young people. For the detection of stressful life events, we used the Life Events Questionnaire, a highly valid instrument for testing common stressful events during adolescence.

Results

Although boys and girls did not differ significantly regarding the total amount of stressful life events, girls reported more stressful events in the familial and body-related areas, whereas boys experienced more conflicts with superiors and independence-marking events. As regards valence, girls reported greater psychological distress compared to boys; however, in all significant results, the effect sizes were only small to moderate.

Conclusion

While previous research highlighted severe stressors in adult samples, we investigated for the first time adolescents with a broader scope of stressful events. The observed differences in the stress experience may contribute to explain the sex-dependent variations in the incidence of stress-related disorders.

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Title: Sex-related differences in frequency and perception of stressful life events during adolescence
Authors: Bianca Raffaelli
Nicole Strache
Caroline Parchetka
Eric Artiges
Tobias Banaschewski
Arun Bokde
Uli Bromberg
Christian Buechel
Anna Cattrell
Patricia Conrod
Herta Flor
Vincent Frouin
Hugh Garavan
Angela Heinrich
Andreas Heinz
Bernd Ittermann
Sarah Jurk
Herve Lemaitre
Jean-Luc Martinot
Eva Mennigen
Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
Dimitri Papadopoulos
Tomáš Paus
Luise Poustka
Michael N. Smolka
Nora C. Vetter
Henrik Walter
Rob Whelan
Gunter Schumann
Juergen Gallinat
Publication date: 01-10-2016
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Journal of Public Health / Issue 5/2016
Print ISSN: 2198-1833
Electronic ISSN: 1613-2238
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-016-0731-x

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Sex-related differences in frequency and perception of stressful life events during adolescence

Abstract

Aim

Subject and methods

Results

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Aim

Subject and methods

Results

Conclusion

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