French-speaking Adults Research Articles

Canadian adaptation of the Newest Vital Sign©, a health literacy assessment tool.

The Newest Vital Sign© (NVS) was developed in the USA to measure patient health literacy in clinical settings. We adapted the NVS for use in Canada, in English and French, and created a computerized version. Our objective was to evaluate the reliability of the Canadian NVS as a self-administered computerized tool. We used a randomized crossover design with a washout period of 3-4 weeks to compare health literacy scores obtained using the computerized version with scores obtained using the standard interviewer-administered NVS. ANOVA models and McNemar's tests assessed differences in outcomes assessed with each version of the NVS and order effects of the testing. Participants were recruited from multicultural catchment areas in Ontario and Nova Scotia. English- and French-speaking adults aged 18 years or older. A total of 180 (81 %) of the 222 adults (112 English/110 French) initially recruited completed both the interviewer-NVS and computer-NVS. Scores for those who completed both assessments ranged from 0 to 6 with a mean of 3·63 (sd 2·11) for the computerized NVS and 3·41 (sd 2·21) for the interview-administered NVS. Few (n 18; seven English, eleven French) participants' health literacy assessments differed between the two versions. Overall, the computerized Canadian NVS performed as well as the interviewer-administered version for assessing health literacy levels of English- and French-speaking participants. This Canadian adaptation of the NVS provides Canadian researchers and public health practitioners with an easily administered health literacy assessment tool that can be used to address the needs of Canadians across health literacy levels and ultimately improve health outcomes.

TDQ-60 – a color picture-naming test for adults and elderly people: validation and normalization data

ABSTRACTWord-finding difficulties are usually assessed with picture-naming tests. In this article, we present the TDQ-60, a new test designed to assess acquired lexical access deficits, taking into account semantics and psycholinguistic variables. The article includes three studies. Study 1 describes the development phase of the TDQ-60. In study 2, healthy control participants and individuals with a diagnosis of the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia were assessed to establish the convergent and discriminant validity of the TDQ-60. Finally, in Study 3, a group of 305 young and elderly French-speaking adults from Quebec were assessed in order to provide normative data. The results demonstrate that the TDQ-60 has good convergent validity and good discriminant validity. This study also provides normative data in which were considered the effect of age and education.The TDQ-60 is a new valid picture-naming test, controlled for psycholinguistic variables and designed to identify the influence of semantics on lexical access in spoken production.

Normative Study of the Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES) Test in the French-Canadian Population.

The Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES; MacDonald, 2005) test was designed for use by speech-language pathologists to assess verbal reasoning, complex comprehension, discourse, and executive skills during performance on a set of challenging and ecologically valid functional tasks. A recent French version of this test was translated from English; however, it had not undergone standardization. The development of normative data that are linguistically and culturally sensitive to the target population is of importance. The present study aimed to establish normative data for the French version of the FAVRES, a commonly used test with native French-speaking patients with traumatic brain injury in Québec, Canada. The normative sample consisted of 181 healthy French-speaking adults from various regions across the province of Québec. Age and years of education were factored into the normative model. Results indicate that age was significantly associated with performance on time, accuracy, reasoning subskills, and rationale criteria, whereas the level of education was significantly associated with accuracy and rationale. Overall, mean scores on each criterion were relatively lower than in the original English version, which reinforces the importance of using the present normative data when interpreting performance of French speakers who have sustained a traumatic brain injury.

The influence of the morphological structure of words on the dynamics of handwriting in adults and fourth and sixth grade children

Grapheme and syllable units have been shown to influence the dynamics of handwriting in adults and children, but the influence of morphemes remains to be clarified. We tested the ability of French-speaking adults and fourth and sixth grade children to process the morphological structure of words during writing. They were asked to copy three types of words on a digitizer: morphologically complex words, morphologically simple words matched for the bigram at the syllabic boundary, and morphologically simple words matched for the bigram at the morphemic boundary. Latencies were shorter for morphologically complex words than for simple words only in adults. Requiring individuals to process morphological structure increased the time taken to write the letter before a morphemic boundary in adults and sixth graders. In contrast, fourth graders wrote the letter before the syllabic boundary more quickly for complex words than for simple words. These results indicate that words are represented in a decomposed form in the lexicon, and that the morphological structure of words regulates the dynamics of handwriting.

Detection Test for Language Impairments in Adults and the Aged-A New Screening Test for Language Impairment Associated With Neurodegenerative Diseases: Validation and Normative Data.

To date, there is no quick screening test that could be used during routine office visits to accurately assess language disorders in neurodegenerative diseases. To fill this important gap, we developed the Detection Test for Language impairments in Adults and the Aged (DTLA), a quick, sensitive, standardized screening test designed to assess language disorders in adults and the elderly individuals. In Study 1, we describe the development of the DTLA. In Study 2, we report data on the DTLA's validity and reliability. Finally, in Study 3, we establish normative data for the test. The DTLA has good convergent and discriminant validity as well as good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Norms for the DTLA obtained from a sample of 545 healthy, community-dwelling, French-speaking adults from 4 French-speaking countries (Belgium, Canada (Quebec), France, and Switzerland) are provided. The development, validation, and standardization of the DTLA constitute a significant effort to meet the need for a language screening test adapted to neurodegenerative diseases.

A French Translation of the Pleasure Arousal Dominance (PAD) Semantic Differential Scale for the Measure of Affect and Drive

Multivariate studies have repeatedly confirmed that three basic dimensions of human emotional behavior, called pleasure (P), arousal (A) and dominance (D) are persistent in organizing human judgments for a wide range of perceptual and symbolic stimuli. The Mehrabian and Russell’s PAD semantic differential scale is a well-established tool to measure these categories, but no standardized French translation is available for research. The aim of this study was to validate a French version of the PAD. For this purpose, (1) Mehrabian and Russell’s PAD was translated through a process of translations and back-translations and (2) this French PAD was tested in a population of 111 French-speaking adults on 21 images of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). A confirmatory factor analysis revealed the expected three-factor structure; the French PAD also distributed the images in the affective space according to the expected boomerang-shape. The present version of PAD is thus a valid French translation of Mehrabian and Russell’s original PAD.

Developmental changes in misinterpretation of garden-path wh-questions in French

This study explores (mis)interpretation of biclausal wh-questions by French-speaking adults and children, aiming to investigate cross-linguistic differences in sentence revision mechanisms. Following previous work in Japanese the ambiguity of wh-questions was manipulated: In ambiguous questions, the fronted wh-phrase could be associated with the first, main-clause verb or the second, embedded-clause verb, while in garden-path questions, an inserted filled-gap prepositional phrase (PP) blocked main-clause attachment. Importantly, French differs from Japanese in that the filled gap arises after the first verb-that is, after the wh-phrase has been interpreted within the main clause. Two story-based comprehension experiments were conducted to probe the effect of word order on revision performance. Adults and children frequently provided main-clause interpretations of ambiguous questions. In filled-gap questions, children displayed relatively acute sensitivity to the filled-gap in wh-argument questions (Experiment 2), but not in wh-adjunct questions (Experiment 1); adults showed surprisingly low sensitivity to it, frequently misinterpreting adjunct and argument questions. Acceptability ratings (Experiment 3) showed that adults systematically prefer in situ questions over wh-fronting questions. We conclude that timing of the error signal influences revision, and that whereas French-speaking children prioritize syntactic cues, adults prioritize distributional information about the optionality of wh-fronting in French.

Which adults in the Paris metropolitan area have never been tested for HIV? A 2010 multilevel, cross-sectional, population-based study.

BackgroundDespite the widespread offer of free HIV testing in France, the proportion of people who have never been tested remains high. The objective of this study was to identify, in men and women separately, the various factors independently associated with no lifetime HIV testing.MethodsWe used multilevel logistic regression models on data from the SIRS cohort, which included 3006 French-speaking adults as a representative sample of the adult population in the Paris metropolitan area in 2010. The lifetime absence of any HIV testing was studied in relation to individual demographic and socioeconomic factors, psychosocial characteristics, sexual biographies, HIV prevention behaviors, attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), and certain neighborhood characteristics.ResultsIn 2010, in the Paris area, men were less likely to have been tested for HIV at least once during their lifetime than women. In multivariate analysis, in both sexes, never having been tested was significantly associated with an age younger or older than the middle-age group (30–44 years), a low education level, a low self-perception of HIV risk, not knowing any PLWHA, a low lifetime number of couple relationships, and the absence of any history of STIs. In women, other associated factors were not having a child <20 years of age, not having additional health insurance, having had no or only one sexual partner in the previous 5 years, living in a cohabiting couple or having no relationship at the time of the survey, and a feeling of belonging to a community. Men with specific health insurance for low-income individuals were less likely to have never been tested, and those with a high stigma score towards PLWHA were more likely to be never-testers.Our study also found neighborhood differences in the likelihood of men never having been tested, which was, at least partially, explained by the neighborhood proportion of immigrants. In contrast, in women, no contextual variable was significantly associated with never-testing for HIV after adjustment for individual characteristics.ConclusionsStudies such as this one can help target people who have never been tested in the context of recommendations for universal HIV screening in primary care.

The Psychometric Properties of the French Version of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5.

In the context of the publication of DSM-5, the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) has been proposed as a new dimensional assessment tool for personality disorders. This instrument includes a pool of 220 items organized around 25 facets included in a five-factor second-order domain structure. The examination of the replicability of the trait structure across methods and populations is of primary importance. In view of this need, the main objective of the current study was to validate the French version of the PID-5 among French-speaking adults from a European community sample (N=2,532). In particular, the assumption of unidimensionality of the 25 facet and the five domain scales was tested, as well as the extent to which the five-factor structure of the PID-5 and the DSM-5 personality trait hierarchical structure are replicated in the current sample. The results support the assumption of unidimensionality of both the facets and the domains. Exploratory factor and hierarchical analyses replicated the five-factor structure as initially proposed in the PID-5.

Preserved Coupling between the Reader's Voice and the Listener's Cortical Activity in Autism Spectrum Disorders

PurposeInvestigating the steadiness of the phase-coupling between the time-course of the reader's voice and brain signals of subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) passively listening to connected speech using magnetoencephalography (MEG). In typically developed subjects, such coupling occurs at the right posterior temporal sulcus (pSTS) for frequencies below 1 Hz, and reflects the neural processing of sentence-level rhythmic prosody at the prelexical level.MethodsCortical neuromagnetic signals were recorded with MEG (Elekta Oy, Finland) while seven right-handed and native French-speaking ASD subjects (six males, one female, range: 13–20 years) listened to live (Live) or recorded (Recorded) voices continuously reading a text in French for five minutes. Coherence was computed between the reader's voice time-course and ASD subjects' MEG signals. Coherent neural sources were subsequently reconstructed using a beamformer.Key findingsSignificant coupling was found at 0.5 Hz in all ASD subjects in Live and in six subjects in Recorded. Coherent sources were located close to the right pSTS in both conditions. No significant difference was found in coherence levels between Live and Recorded, and between ASD subjects and ten typically developed subjects (right-handed, native French-speaking adults, 5 males, 5 females, age range: 21–38 years) included in a previous study.SignificanceThis study discloses a preserved coupling between the reader's voice and ASD subjects' cortical activity at the right pSTS. These findings support the existence of preserved neural processing of sentence-level rhythmic prosody in ASD. The preservation of early cortical processing of prosodic elements in verbal language might be exploited in therapeutic interventions in ASD.

Combined effects of narcissistic and emotional regulation on decision-making under ambiguity

Probabilities alone (i.e. objective assessment of decision options) do not suffice in explaining the choices individuals make when faced with potential risky decisions (Kahneman & Tversky, 1979, 1984). The present study aims to shed light on the effects – both isolated and combined – of narcissism and alexithymia on repeated financial decision-making under ambiguity. A total 121 French-speaking adults took part in the present study. Subjects completed a modified version of the Iowa Gambling Task (Bechara, Damasio, Damasio & Anderson, 1994), as well as filling out personality questionnaires measuring normal trait narcissism and alexithymia. Using both traditional and alternative performance metrics (cfr. Gansler et al., 2011), narcissism and alexithymia were both shown to contribute to the development of disadvantageous decision-making strategies throughout the task. Whilst contributing to knowledge on the links between personality traits and decision-making, the study also provides interesting applied implications aimed at reducing disadvantageous investment strategies.

Psychometric properties and normative data of the French Developmental Behavior Checklist – Adult version

The main aim of this study was to generate psychometric data for the French translation of the Developmental Behavior Checklist - Adult version (DBC-A). In addition, the score distributions were examined by using components of mean-based scores. The DBC-A was administered to 580 adults with intellectual disability recruited in the French-speaking regions of Switzerland and Belgium. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the adjustment of the collected data to the original six-factor model; the internal consistency of the factors was analyzed with Cronbach's alpha. The Reiss Screen for Maladaptive Behavior was used to evaluate the concurrent validity of the instrument. Psychopathology prevalence was also explored. The original factor structure of the DBC-A was replicated, with the internal consistency of the factors ranging from respectable to very good according to the alpha values. When the "screening" cut-off of the DBC-A was used, the DBC-A highlighted a psychopathology prevalence of 38%, which was close to the frequency provided by the Reiss Screen (36%). These results show the robustness of the DBC-A's psychometric properties. Thus, we recommend the use of this instrument to assess and screen psychopathology among French-speaking adults with intellectual disability.

Are Immigrants and Nationals Born to Immigrants at Higher Risk for Delayed or No Lifetime Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening? The Results from a Population-Based Survey in Paris Metropolitan Area in 2010

ObjectivesThis study aims to compare breast cancer screening (BCS) and cervical cancer screening (CCS) practices of French women born to French parents with those of immigrants and nationals born to immigrants, taking their socioeconomic status into account.MethodsThe study is based on data collected in 2010 in the Paris metropolitan area among a representative sample of 3000 French-speaking adults. For women with no history of breast or cervical cancer, multivariate logistic regressions and structural equation models were used to investigate the factors associated with never having undergone BCS or CCS.ResultsWe confirmed the existence of a strong gradient, with respect to migration origin, for delaying or never having undergone BCS or CCS. Thus, being a foreign immigrant or being French of immigrant parentage were risk factors for delayed and no lifetime screening. Interestingly, we found that this gradient persisted (at least partially) after adjusting for the women’s socioeconomic characteristics. Only the level of income seemed to play a mediating role, but only partially. We observed differences between BCS and CCS which suggest that organized CCS could be effective in reducing socioeconomic and/or ethnic inequities.ConclusionSocioeconomic status partially explained the screening nonparticipation on the part of French women of immigrant origin and foreign immigrants. This was more so the case with CCS than with BCS, which suggests that organized prevention programs might reduce social inequalities.

A Validation Study of Memory and Executive Functions Indexes in French-Speaking Healthy Young and Older Adults

Medial temporal lobe (MTL)/memory and frontal lobe (FL)/executive functions indexes are used to measure changes related to cognitive aging. These indexes are based on composite scores of neuropsychological tests validated in English-speaking populations, and their use in aging research is growing in popularity. This study aimed at validating the MTL/memory and FL/executive functions indexes in French-speaking adults. Ninety-eight healthy participants (32 young and 66 older adults) were tested on eight neuropsychological tests, three associated with MTL/memory functions and five associated with FL/executive functions. Factor analysis indicated that residual scores independent of age and associated with MTL/memory functions grouped under one factor, and residual scores associated with FL/executive functions grouped under another factor. Bootstrapping analysis with 1,000 resamples confirmed stability for seven neuropsychological tests. This study provides the first validation of the MTL/memory and FL/executive functions composite scores in French-speaking adults, which may be used to assess cognitive changes in aging research.

Changes in voicing perception by adult French speakers after identification training

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to investigate changes in voicing identification, discrimination, and categorical perception induced by identification training centered on three different training values. One group of French-speaking adults was trained across a universal auditory boundary (−30 ms voice onset time), and two other groups were trained across arbitrary boundaries (−45 or −60 ms voice onset time). A control group did not receive any training. The results showed that both the −30 and the −45 training groups exhibited a 10 ms shift in the identification boundary. Moreover, for the −30 training group, discrimination and categorical perception changed around the French phonological boundary. These results illustrate the possibility of modifying the French phonological perception after short-time training, particularly when centered on a universal boundary. However, training only had limited effects and even strengthened the phonological boundary, congruent with the hypothesis that this boundary is acquired by a perceptual “coupling” between universal boundaries.

The role of a lack of social integration in never having undergone breast cancer screening: Results from a population-based, representative survey in the Paris metropolitan area in 2010

ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the association between social contact and social support and women's breast cancer screening (BCS) practices, taking their socioeconomic status (SES) into account. MethodsThe SIRS survey was conducted in 2010 in the Paris metropolitan area among a representative sample of 3000 French-speaking adults. For the 784 women aged 50years or older with no history of breast cancer, multivariate logistic regressions and bootstrap methods were used to analyze the factors associated with never having undergone BCS. Results6.5% of these women had never undergone BCS. In multivariate analysis, being older, having a low education level, having poor-quality health insurance, and having one or less than one social contact per 3-day period were significantly associated with never having undergone BCS during their lifetime, but the level of social support was not. The strength of the association with a low frequency of social contact tended to increase with age. ConclusionThis study analyzed the role of social contact in social inequalities in BCS practices in the Paris metropolitan area. Like SES, social integration and social isolation should be taken into consideration by public health professionals and practitioners when planning BCS programs and incentives.

Vitamin D supplement use by adult Canadians: sociodemographic correlates

The 2011 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamin D intake in the absence of sunlight exposure are 15 μg/d (1–70 y) and 20 μg/d (70+ y). In Canada, these intakes are not feasible to obtain from food alone, and in winter months cutaneous vitamin D synthesis is very limited, suggesting the need for supplementation. To assess the prevalence and correlates of vitamin D supplement use subsequent to release of the 2011 RDAs, an on‐line survey was completed in September 2011 by a nationally‐representative sample of 2554 English‐ or French‐speaking adults aged ≥19 y. The survey assessed use of vitamin D supplements, health perceptions, and sociodemographic variables. Characteristics associated with supplement use in univariate analysis were used to determine multivariable‐adjusted odds ratios for supplement use. Overall, 47.9% reported use of a supplement with vitamin D; users’ median (interquartile range) supplemental intake was 10 (5, 25) μg/d. Significant adjusted odds ratios (95% CI &gt;; 1.0) were detected for age group (19–30, 31–50, 51–70, 71+ y), female sex, speaking English (vs. French), having an osteoporosis diagnosis, perceived lactose intolerance, and university education. Adjusted odds ratio for marital status, ethnicity and income level were not significant. Certain population subgroups may benefit from targeted information about vitamin D supplementation.Supported by the UBC Vitamin Research Fund and the Canadian Agri‐Science Cluster Initiative.

Évaluation multidimensionnelle de la régulation des émotions : propriétés psychométriques d’une version francophone du Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale

Plusieurs psychopathologies se caractérisent par des difficultés de régulation des émotions. Actuellement, aucun instrument de langue française ne permet une évaluation multidimensionnelle de ces difficultés. Cette recherche examine les propriétés psychométriques d’une traduction francophone du Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) (Gratz et Roemer, 2004 [9] ), un instrument mesurant diverses difficultés de régulation des émotions, auprès de 454 adultes. La structure factorielle, la fidélité, la stabilité temporelle et la validité de l’instrument sont examinées. Les résultats appuient la qualité de la traduction et confirment que la version francophone du DERS présente d’excellentes propriétés psychométriques similaires à celles de la version originale anglaise. Cette traduction s’avère un instrument de choix pour le clinicien et le chercheur désirant évaluer diverses difficultés de régulation des émotions chez des adultes francophones, à partir d’un seul instrument. The amount of research into emotion regulation has grown significantly over the last few decades. It is now recognized that some psychopathologies are characterized by difficulties in emotion regulation. In spite of an increase in interest in the study of emotion regulation, there is still no consensus over the definition or explanatory model of emotion regulation. Generally speaking, emotion regulation refers to a process by which an individual modulates their emotions to respond appropriately to the environmental demands. Similarly, there are also few tools to evaluate emotion regulation or the difficulties adults face with this process. These tools reflect the differences between the proposed models, and have the disadvantage of either targeting and evaluating only one or some of the aspects of emotion regulation, or of evaluating closely-related constructs of emotion regulation. Furthermore, there are few tools translated into and validated in French, and currently no French language tool to evaluate the multidimensional aspects of these difficulties. Gratz and Roemer have developed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) (Gratz et Roemer, 2004 [9] ) which provides a model defining emotion regulation as a multidimensional construct implying: awareness, understanding and acceptance of emotions; ability to control impulsive behaviors and behave in accordance with desired goals when experiencing negative emotions; ability to use situationally appropriate emotion regulation strategies flexibly to modulate emotional responses as desired in order to meet individual goals and situational demands. The DERS examines six difficulties in emotion regulation: non-acceptance of negative emotions, difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior, impulse control difficulties, limited access to emotion regulation strategies perceived as effective, lack of emotional awareness, and lack of understanding of these emotions defined as a lack of emotional clarity. This research examined the factorial structure, fidelity, temporal stability and convergent validity of a French translation of the DERS, l’Échelle des Difficultés de Régulation des Émotions (EDRE) [23] , on 454 French university students. In addition to responding to the EDRE, participants completed depression, situational anxiety and trait anxiety tests. The order of tests was counterbalanced. Five weeks later, 89 students completed the EDRE again in order to evaluate its temporal stability. The results supported the quality of the translation and confirm that the French version of DERS presents excellent psychometric properties. The confirmatory factor analysis supported the factorial structure of six factors corresponding to the six postulated dimensions of emotion regulation. Thus, the results supported the multidimensional conceptualization of emotion regulation based on the elaboration of the DERS as well as the structure of the French version of the tool. In addition, the results showed that the EDRE items possess excellent internal coherence, which supports its fidelity. The results also confirmed the temporal stability of the tool following an interval of 5 weeks. The convergent validity of the EDRE was also proven when the tool was correlated to measures of anxiety and depression. These results were similar to those obtained by the authors of the original English version of the tool, as well as by studies that have adapted and validated this tool in other languages. In conclusion, this study supports the psychometric qualities of the French version of the DERS. The EDRE constitutes one of the first tools in measuring emotion regulation difficulties in adults validated in French. Contrary to other available measures, it has the advantage of simultaneously evaluating several dimensions of emotion regulation. This translation is therefore a tool of choice for the practitioner and researcher who wish to evaluate various difficulties in emotion regulation in French-speaking adults, using a single tool.

Functional near‐infrared spectroscopy for the assessment of overt reading

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has become increasingly established as a promising technique for monitoring functional brain activity. To our knowledge, no study has yet used fNIRS to investigate overt reading of irregular words and nonwords with a full coverage of the cerebral regions involved in reading processes. The aim of our study was to design and validate a protocol using fNIRS for the assessment of overt reading. Twelve healthy French-speaking adults underwent one session of fNIRS recording while performing an overt reading of 13 blocks of irregular words and nonwords. Reading blocks were separated by baseline periods during which participants were instructed to fixate a cross. Sources (n = 55) and detectors (n = 16) were placed bilaterally over frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital regions. Two wavelengths were used: 690 nm, more sensitive to deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentration changes, and 830 nm, more sensitive to oxyhemoglobin (HbO) concentration changes. For all participants, total hemoglobin (HbT) concentrations (HbO + HbR) were significantly higher than baseline for both irregular word and nonword reading in the inferior frontal gyri, the middle and superior temporal gyri, and the occipital cortices bilaterally. In the temporal gyri, although the difference was not significant, [HbT] values were higher in the left hemisphere. In the bilateral inferior frontal gyri, higher [HbT] values were found in nonword than in irregular word reading. This activation could be related to the grapheme-to-phoneme conversion characterizing the phonological pathway of reading. Our findings confirm that fNIRS is an appropriate technique to assess the neural correlates of overt reading.

Associations of Social Relationships with Consultation for Symptoms of Depression: A Community Study of Depression in Older Men and Women in Québec

To assess associations between social relationships and consultation for symptoms of depression, data from a representative sample of 2,811 French-speaking community-dwelling older adults in Québec were used. Less than half of the older adults meeting DSM criteria for depression (N = 379; 47.1%) had sought consultation about their depression-relevant symptoms in the preceding 12 months. Having a cohabitant partner or having children were not associated with frequency of consultation for women. Men without a partner tended to consult more frequently than men with a cohabiting partner (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 0.81, 7.88). None of the men without a confidant had consulted. Among the 67 men with a confidant, consultation was more frequent among those not cohabiting with a partner (70%) than among those with a cohabiting partner (46%). The influence of social relationships on consultation for depression differed in men and women in this population of depressed elderly people in Québec.