Gender Differences In Psychological Distress Research Articles

Mental health and substance use among elite para-athletes: An cross-sectional survey

Objective The scientific studies on the mental health and substance use among elite para-athletes are rare (Lardi et al., in preparation; Lüdi et al., 2023). However, the shows similarities as well as differences to the regular elite athletes’ populations (Rice et al., 2016; Swartz et al., 2019). The aim of this study was to investigate the mental health and substance use of para-athletes (PAs) from their perspective, in order to gain an overview of the situation in elite para-sport and to potentially create a basis for prevention campaigns and, if necessary, interventions. Methodology An online survey (SoSciSurvey) was used to create a questionnaire, which was translated into eight languages to reach PAs internationally. In addition to socio-demographic and sports-specific (Para-Sport, PS) variables, psychological and physical factors, as well as substance use, were assessed using standardized instruments. Results (CAVE: at the time at submission preliminary since the survey ends by the end of November/The final results will be presented at the congress): The PAs (N = 82) showed different prevalences regarding mental disorders compared to data from the general population and regular elite athletes, with disorder-specific deviations. There were significant gender differences in psychological distress (K-10, p < .001), depression severity (PHQ-9, p < .001), and anxiety severity (GAD-7, p < .001). The majority of PAs reported good or very good mental (69.51%) and physical (64.63%) health, and these results significantly correlated (p < .001) with a strong effect size. PAs were more likely to disclose and seek support in professional than in private settings. 51.22% of the PAs felt disadvantaged in everyday life, and in PS, it was 29.27%. The BA and K-10 did not correlate significantly (p > .05), but there was a significant correlation (p < .001) between discrimination in PS and the K-10. The results of discrimination in everyday life and in PS both significantly correlated with the WHODAS-12 (p < .01, and p < .001), with a weak and moderate effect size, respectively. Regarding substance use, 41.46% of PAs reported alcohol, 7.32% nicotine, and 8.54% cannabis use. The AUDIT-C did not significantly correlate with the K-10 or the WHODAS-12 (p > .05), and there was no significant gender difference (AUDIT-C, p > .05). Conclusions Based on the results, prevention should occur in the disorder-specific area and refer to the professional services, social support, focusing more on discrimination, and include substance use (alcohol and cannabis). It is important to consider that PAs are a vulnerable population and research gaps still exist.

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of medical students and young physicians in Germany: Gender-specific results of an online survey

BackgroundHealthcare workers and medical students faced new challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Processes within many hospitals were completely disrupted. In addition, the face to face teaching of medical students was drastically reduced. Those at risk of developing mental health problems appear to be younger health care workers and women. ObjectiveTo investigate potential COVID-19 pandemic-related gender differences in psychological distress among medical students and physicians in their first years of practice. Design and settingAn anonymous survey was carried out online between December 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022, at the Mannheim Medical Faculty and the Würzburg Medical Faculty, Germany, after obtaining informed consent. Primary outcome measures were changes in anxiety and depression symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and changes in participants' current quality of life using the WHO Quality of Life BREF. ResultsThe results show wave-like courses for perceived anxiety and burden overlapping with the course of the COVID-19 incidence. In comparison to men, women showed a significant higher increase in HADS (p = 0.005) and a reduced life quality (p = 0.007) after COVID-19. Both sexes showed different frequencies of the factors influencing quality of life, with the presence of a previous mental illness and mean anxiety having a significant higher negative impact in women. ConclusionFuture and young female physicians reported a disproportionate higher burden during COVID-19 compared to their male colleges. These observations suggest an increased need for support and prevention efforts especially in this vulnerable population.

Gender Differences in Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, and Quality of Life in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: A Multicenter, Cross-sectional Study.

Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are more often female, but gender differences in psychological distress in patients with HFpEF have not been determined. We aimed to compare anxiety, depression, insomnia, and quality of life (QoL) between women and men with HFpEF. A total of 263 consecutive hospitalized patients with HFpEF were enrolled in a multicenter study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), insomnia was assessed by the Insomnia Severity Index and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and QoL was assessed by the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire. Women accounted for 59% and men accounted for 41% of the patients with HFpEF. Women and men had similar New York Heart Association functional class and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels. Between women and men with HFpEF, similar depression prevalence (HADS-D: 4.9 ± 3.7 vs 4.1 ± 3.6, P = .222), insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index: 9.3 ± 6.4 vs 8.0 ± 6.5, P = .120), and QoL (Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire: 46.6 ± 12.6 vs 47.6 ± 12.7, P = .738) were found when adjusting for potential confounders. Women had more severe anxiety (HADS-Anxiety: 2.4 ± 2.9 vs 1.6 ± 2.3, P = .025) and worse sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: 9.9 ± 4.6 vs 8.7 ± 4.5, P = .046) compared with men after adjustment. There were no gender differences in depression, insomnia, and QoL in patients with HFpEF when adjusting for confounders. Women with HFpEF suffered more severe anxiety and sleep quality than men after adjustment. Thus, it is recommended that psychological distress in patients with HFpEF be assessed in clinical practice, and gender differences taken into consideration.

Multi-method analysis of gender differences in psychological distress among the elderly during COVID

Abstract As COVID swept through Europe, and the world, with high rates of illness and death, so did symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, stress, and psychological distress. This study examines the relationship between gender and psychological distress among Latvians over 50 years old within the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from Wave 8 COVID-19 data of the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) as an early data version of the SHARE Corona survey conducted between June and August 2020. It features the data collected by telephone (CATI) on topics related to COVID-19 for a large sub-sample of SHARE panel respondents. This study examined a sample of 980 adults over 50 years old in Latvia. Bivariate analysis were performed utilizing the Pearson chi-square test for association to examine differences in symptoms of psychological distress by gender during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Level of significance was determined by the p-value test statistic. Alpha level was established at .05. A chi-square test for association shows that there were statistically relationships between gender and feeling nervous (X2 (2, N = 976) = 22.11, p < .001), feeling depressed (X2 (3, N = 976) = 10.95, p < .01), and trouble sleeping (X2 (2, N = 976) = 20.40, p < .001). This study rejects the null hypothesis that no differences exist between the genders, as women reported greater psychological distress during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional multi-method analysis is consistent with these findings and concludes that this is due to the greater concern women report for family, and the burden which placed limitations on meeting their children and grandchildren. Key messages

Psychological Distress in Elite Sambo and Recreational Athletes.

BackgroundPrevious studies suggest that engagement in any type of physical activity can be protective against mental health issues, whereas elite-level athletes can endure various mental health challenges. The aim of this study was to determine variations in the prevalence of psychological distress among elite sambo athletes and their recreational counterparts.MethodsA sample consisting of 245 athletes (127 males and 118 females) was chosen. Out of the total sample, 105 were elite-level athletes while 140 were recreational athletes. Participants were accessed via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 to determine their stress in various domains at a given time.ResultsData indicated that all tested differences between elite sambo athletes and recreational athletes were statistically significant; recreational athletes had a higher score on the depression scale, anxiety and stress, and a general distress score than sambo athletes. Although there are no gender differences in psychological distress in the total sample of athletes, elite sambo athletes achieve significantly lower scores in all tested variants than recreational ones. Women who engage in recreational activities have stood out as a vulnerable subsample in psychological stress.ConclusionFuture epidemiological and interventional studies should explore optimal strategies to identify mental health needs based on specific sport activity, especially in terms of gender. There is a need to place special emphasis on psychological distress in the context of combat sports.

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-Being among Lawyers

Objective: This study was designed to find the gender differences in psychological distress and psychological well-being (PWB) among lawyers.Study Design: Cross sectional study.Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted from January 2018 to April 2018 at Islamabad and Rawalpindi High courts.Materials and Methods: Purposive sampling technique was used. A sample of 110 lawyers (male=55 & female =55) were recruited for the study. Two scales, psychological distress-10 and psychological well-being was used for data collection.Results: For the investigation of relationship Pearson, product moment correlation was computed with the help of SPSS-21v. The results indicated that both parameters (psychological distress and psychological well-being) were negatively correlated (r=-.40). To examine the gender regarding differences T-test was used. Significant gender related difference was observed on psychological distress (t=2.09, p<.05) where female lawyers reported higher level of distress than male lawyers, whereas on well-being non-significant gender difference was found.Conclusion: The findings of our study concluded that lawyers with high psychological distress reported lower level of psychological well-being; and overall female lawyers experienced more psychological distress (because of extra responsibilities of profession, home, and family) than their male counterparts. 
 How to cite this: Arzeen N, Hamid M, Shah M, Arzeem, Mustafa G, Hassan Z. Gender Differences in Psychological Distress and Psychological Well-Being among Lawyers. Life and Science. 2022; 3(2): 75-78. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.192
 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Exposure to Parental Violence During Childhood and Later Psychological Distress Among Arab Adults in Israel: The Role of Gender and Sense of Coherence.

Exposure to parental violence in childhood is a significant predictor of psychological distress in adulthood. Factors at the individual level may explain the variance in psychological distress among adults exposed to parental violence. The current study examined the effect of exposure to different forms (i.e., physical violence and psychological aggression) and different patterns of parental violence (i.e., witnessing interparental violence, experiencing parental violence) on later psychological distress. The mediating role of sense of coherence (SOC) and the moderating role of gender in this relationship were also examined. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 604 married Arab adults in Israel (age = 20-60, M = 33.5, SD = 6.52) using a retrospective, self-administered questionnaire. Results indicate a significant positive relationship between all forms and types of parental violence explored in the current study with levels of psychological distress. Furthermore, exposure to parental violence correlated negatively with SOC, and low levels of SOC predicted higher levels of psychological distress. SOC was found to partially mediate the relationship between exposure to parental violence and psychological distress. Gender differences were found only with regard to experiencing physical violence as a predictor of psychological distress, indicating that the relationship between these variables is stronger in females. These results highlight the importance of SOC as a personal resource and its role in promoting psychological wellbeing. Healthcare practitioners should be aware of possible gender differences in psychological distress among Arab adults exposed to parental violence.

Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator.

Internet pornography use (IPU) refers to Internet-based sexually explicit materials that are ultimately used to elicit sexual feelings or thoughts. The accessibility of Internet pornography could lead to excessive exposure to pornographic messages, posing a risk to heavy users’ psychological health. This paper offers a preliminary understanding of the relationship between Internet pornography use and psychological distress among emerging adults and the moderating role of gender in the association. This cross-sectional study has taken a purposive sampling approach to recruit 144 emerging adult pornography users via the online survey method. The results indicated that males reported having more problematic Internet pornography use, and there were no gender differences in psychological distress. Meanwhile, gender is a significant moderator between Internet pornography use and psychological distress. The females were found to be more psychologically affected by their problematic Internet pornography use than the males. Overall, this study has provided a novel finding of the moderating role of gender in problematic Internet pornography use and psychological distress in the Malaysian context. This study also calls for a gender-focused sexual health programme for Malaysian emerging adults. Furthermore, the scores of problematic IPU in this study raise a concern over the effectiveness of current sex education in Malaysia. The scores may highlight the need to provide education targeting Internet pornography use.

Patterns of Psychological Distress and Well-Being among Adults in Relation to Gender during COVID-19 Pandemic

AbstractCoronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to the worsening of mental health of people in terms of increased psychological distress and decreased psychological well-being. The study was designed to understand the influence of COVID-19 pandemic on psychological distress and well-being. Present study also explored the variances in psychological distress and well-being in relation to development stages (young adulthood and adulthood), gender (males and females), people who had been infected by coronavirus and those not infected, and respondents whose immediate family members/relatives/friends/classmates had been infected by coronavirus and those not infected. An online survey was conducted in the midst of the pandemic. Responses of 250 respondents were gathered and analysed using the General Well-being Questionnaire developed by Veit and Ware in 1983. The results indicated that COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in determining psychological distress and well-being. Gender differences in psychological distress and well-being are present with males being high on psychological distress and females being high on psychological well-being. Adults were found to be high on psychological distress than young adults. It was also revealed that as a person (respondent himself/immediate family/friends/relatives) becomes infected and recovers, their psychological distress declines, and well-being increases, probably because of reduced fear of being infected again. Along with other demographic variables, developmental stages and gender differences also played a crucial role in psychological distress and well-being of adults.

A gendered analysis of symptom severity and perceived social support of Hong Kong Chinese parents with depression

ABSTRACT This paper reports on significant gender differences in psychological distress and perceived social support (PSS) among a clinical sample of Hong Kong Chinese depressed parents (Nmen = 17, Nwomen = 94; 73.8% belonging to 30−50 age group). Men’s mental health and PSS were found to relate to their employment status, while women’s to family income and family origin. PSS had positive effects on psychological wellbeing of both genders, while gender-specific effects were found for some subtypes of PSS. The results of our study contributed a gendered perspective and validated the importance of PSS to understanding and helping depressed parents’ recovery.

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress in Patients with Colorectal Cancer and Its Correlates in the Northeast of Iran.

Colorectal cancer has a significant impact on patients' physical, psychological, and social aspects. This study aimed to examine the gender difference in anxiety and depression and its relationship with some of the characteristics of the disease and demographic in the northeast of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, patients with colorectal cancer aged over 18 years who were admitted to hospitals, without considering the disease stage and type of treatment, were enrolled during 2014-2016. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) Questionnaire was completed via interview. A total of 303 survivors of colorectal cancer were included in the current analysis, of whom 55.1% (167) were male. The overall frequency of depression was 44.9%, and it was 38.3% and 32.9% for men and women, respectively. The overall frequency of anxiety was 53.4% (50.3% and 57.4% for men and women, respectively). The results showed that compared to men, women (52%) were more likely to report depression (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.22-1.04, P = 0.065); in contrast, men (12%) were less likely than women to report anxiety (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.38-2.03, P = 0.779), which was less than 12% in men. Among other variables, education and employment were identified as independent and strong predictive variables for depression and anxiety. The frequency of anxiety and depression is high among colorectal cancer survivors, especially in women. Therefore, screening for psychological distress is recommended in clinical settings and there is a need to pay attention to women.

Mental health among university students: The associations of effort-reward imbalance and overcommitment with psychological distress

BackgroundMental health problems are highly prevalent among university students, but little is known about their underlying determinants. This study explores mental health among university students, the association between “effort-reward imbalance” (ERI), overcommitment and mental health, and to what extent ERI and overcommitment explain gender differences in mental health. MethodsCross-sectional data were analyzed from 4760 Italian university students. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-10 was used to measure self-reported psychological distress, as an indicator of mental health, and the ERI – Student Questionnaire to measure effort, reward and overcommitment. The associations between ERI and overcommitment with psychological distress were estimated with multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results78.5% of the respondents experienced psychological distress, with 21.3%, 21.1%, and 36.1% reporting respectively mild, moderate and severe psychological distress. Female students were more likely to report moderate and severe psychological distress. ERI and overcommitment were strongly associated with severe psychological distress with ORs respectively up to 19.9 (95% CI: 12.2–32.5) and 22.2 (95% CI: 16.1–30.7). ERI and overcommitment explained part of the higher odds of severe psychological distress among female students comparing to males, attenuating the ORs from 2.3 (95% CI: 1.9–2.7) to 1.4 (95% CI: 1.2–1.7). LimitationsThis cross-sectional study was performed on a large, but convenient sample. DiscussionMore than one out of three students reported severe psychological distress. Decreasing ERI and overcommitment may be beneficial in the prevention of psychological distress among university students and may reduce gender differences in psychological distress. Longitudinal studies are needed to further investigate these associations.

Gender differences in psychological distress as a mediational pathway to suicidal ideation among adolescents at high risk for victimization by violence.

Gender differences in psychological distress as a mediational pathway to suicidal ideation among adolescents at high risk for victimization by violence.

Adoptive Mothers' and Fathers' Psychological Distress: Parenting Teens Adopted from Birth

This study tests pathways to adoptive parents' psychological distress over time and then examines gender differences in psychological distress. Participants included 190 adoptive mothers and 190 adoptive fathers from the longitudinal Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project, a study of U.S. domestic infant adoptions. The majority of adoptive parents reported low psychological distress 10 to 20 years post-adoption. Some struggled throughout their adopted youth’s childhood and adolescence. This study utilizes data allowing an examination of parenting during middle childhood and adolescence. For adoptive mothers and fathers, outside stressors significantly predicted psychological distress. For adoptive fathers, perceived parent–child incompatibility was also predictive.

Age and Gender Differences in Psychological Distress among African Americans and Whites: Findings from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey.

Previous studies report a race and mental health paradox: Whites score higher on measures of major depression compared to African Americans, but the opposite is true for psychological distress (i.e., African Americans score higher on distress measures compared to Whites). Independently, race, age, and gender outcomes for psychological distress are well documented in the literature. However, there is relatively little research on how psychological distress interferes with the lives of African Americans and Whites at the intersection of their various race, age, and gender identities. This study uses data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey to examine age and gender differences in psychological distress and how much psychological distress interferes with the lives of African Americans and Whites. Our study findings are contrary to the paradox such that young White women (M = 3.36, SD = 1.14) and middle-aged White men (M = 2.55, SD = 3.97) experienced higher psychological distress than all other race, age, and gender groups. Psychological distress interference was relatively high among the high distress groups, except for older African American men (M = 1.73, SD = 1.05) and young African American women (M = 1.93, SD = 0.95). Implications for studies that consider cultural experiences of psychological distress, and how it impacts different demographic groups are discussed.

Gender Orientation and the Cost of Caring for Others

The “cost-of-caring” thesis asserts that observed gender differences in psychological distress are largely a consequence of women’s greater emotional investment in the lives of their loved ones. Research on this topic has supported this thesis by showing that network events result in higher levels of depressive symptoms for women compared to men. However, other evidence challenges this claim. In light of these divergent findings, this paper elaborates this topic in three ways. First, susceptibility to network events is assessed in terms of two dimensions of psychological distress, depressive symptomatology and problem drinking. Second, within-gender analyses are conducted to examine the possibility that masculine and feminine personality traits condition the relationship between network events and psychological distress. Finally, this paper assesses age variation in the cost of caring. Data collected from 1,393 respondents ages 18 to 55 who participated in a Toronto-based community study are employed to address these issues. Findings reveal that the cost of caring for others extends to women and men, and that gender orientation modifies the relationship between network events and psychological distress. These results underscore the need to critically assess the social factors that differentiate risk and well-being for men and women.

Gender differences in psychological distress in Spain.

Epidemiological and community-based surveys consistently report gender differences in mental health. This study examines gender differences in psychological distress by analyzing the relevance of stress, coping styles, social support and the time use. Psychological tests were administered to a convenience sample of 1,337 men and 1,251 women from the Spanish general population, aged between 18 and 65 and with different socio-demographic characteristics, although both the women and men groups had similar age and educational levels. Women had more psychological distress than men. Although psychological distress in the women and men groups have some common correlates such as more stress, more emotional and less rational coping and less social support, we find some gender differences. Work role dissatisfaction was more associated with distress in the men than in the women group. In addition, women's distress was associated with more daily time devoted to childcare and less to activities they enjoy, and men's distress was associated with more time devoted to housework and less to physical exercise. Social roles traditionally attributed to women and men - and the differences in the use of time that such roles entail - are relevant in gender differences in psychological distress.

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress and Quality of Life in Patients with an ICD 1‐Year Postimplant

Gender differences in patient-reported outcomes in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) have been researched, but findings are inconclusive and mostly based on cross-sectional study designs. To gain a better insight into potential determinants of psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HQOL), we examined the relationship between gender and patient-reported outcomes in patients with an ICD in the first year after ICD implantation. Consecutive patients (N = 300) receiving an ICD between September 2007 and February 2010 at Medisch Spectrum Twente hospital, the Netherlands, completed several questionnaires to assess psychological distress and HQOL prior to ICD implantation and at 2 months, 5 months, 8 months, and 12 months postimplantation. Correcting for clinical confounders (e.g., left ventricular ejection fraction, ICD indication, comorbidities, ICD shocks), women reported higher levels of anxiety (P = 0.021) and shock-related anxiety (P = 0.047) than men in the course of a year. On most HQOL subscales, no gender differences were found, except for subscale Physical functioning, where women reported higher levels of improvement compared to men (P = 0.008). Gender was independently associated with poorer device-related acceptance, but only on the Florida Patient Acceptance Scale domain Body image concerns (P = 0.043), with women expressing higher levels of concerns about their body image compared to men. Women report higher levels of general and shock-related anxiety, and higher levels of body image concerns than men. Women showed more improvement in physical functioning. Screening patients before and after ICD implantation for general and shock anxiety may help determine patients who could benefit from psychological counseling.

Gender Differences of Stress in the Farming Sector

This article examines gender differences in psychological distress from the impact of stressors. Stress-related illnesses, in particular suicide attempts/successes, are now of major concern in agriculture and attract increased interest from scholars. Many farmers and farm employees have first-hand experience of fatalities, injuries and ill health where stress and fatigue are major contributors. The study was developed through a questionnaire survey, interviews and farm visits. Results from the hierarchical regression models indicated significant gender differences after severity of stressors were taken into account. Male farmers were experienced the impact of psychological strain, whereas the female farmers reported a slightly higher impact of farm stressors. The demographic variables such as marital status, age group, occupational status and size of the farm were not significant factors for contributing toward stressors-strains relationships. This outcome will encourage practitioners who provide services to confront the impact of stressors directly to reduce psychological strain, which likely enhances satisfaction and performance. This research highlights the need to incorporate the frequency and severity of stressors in the work place to understand fully the stressor-strain relationship on individual differences.

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress Associated with Changes in Appearance Resulting from Cancer Treatment

Gender Differences in Psychological Distress Associated with Changes in Appearance Resulting from Cancer Treatment