Sex differences in the manifestations of depression in young people. A study of French high school students. Part II: Correlates and background factors.

Abstract

The second part of this study investigates the correlates and background factors of major depression in young people. The study sample consisted of 744 high school students, (439 males and 305 females), aged 14 to 23 years, and attending 15 high schools in the North of France. Among them, 32 (18 males and 14 females) had a major depressive episode according to DSM-III-R criteria. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire devised for the study in order to investigate sociodemographic, behavioral, medical and environmental factors associated with depression. Antisocial behavior, more frequently found in males, was the only factor significantly differentiating male from female depressed students. On the other hand, school difficulties, health problems, impairments in interpersonal relationships and family history disorders were most often found significantly associated with major depression in males but not in females. According to these findings, the authors examine the concept of "masked depression" and advance some hypotheses about the reasons why major depression in young people is so often underdiagnosed.