Gender Gap in Spotting Depression

[alexjuice]

Study Finds...

 

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- People are more likely to be able to identify symptoms of depression in women than men, according to a study that looked at how gender influences public perceptions of people with depression.

 

Study participants were given descriptions of identical symptoms of depression in a fictitious man and woman (named Jack and Kate) and asked whether they had depression and whether they should seek professional help.

 

Here's an example of how the symptoms were described: "For the past two weeks, Kate/Jack has been feeling really down. S/he wakes up in the morning with a flat, heavy feeling that sticks with her/him all day. S/he isn't enjoying things the way s/he normally would. S/he finds it hard to concentrate on anything."

 

Based on the information they were given, both men and women were likely to conclude that Kate had depression, but men were less likely than women to suggest that Jack had depression, according to study author Viren Swami. of the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom.

 

All of the study participants, and especially men, found Kate's case significantly more distressing, hard to treat and worthy of sympathy than Jack's case. In addition, men were more likely than women to suggest that Kate seek professional mental health help, while both men and women were equally likely to make this suggestion for Jack.

 

I found this story on medicinenet. I found it interesting that there was a difference among the sexes at perceiving depression symptoms as requiring depression symptoms depending on the sex of the presenting person. I know women are a greater share of the market than men. Being a male, I recall being resistant to taking medication at first. I assume everyone struggles with the decision to take medicine but maybe this is not so. Anyway, struck me as interesting.

 

Swami also found that skepticism about psychiatry and anti-scientific attitudes influenced people's views about depression.

 

I think Swami Viren, an ethnic Indian male writing from the UK, thinks of skepticism about psychiatry as showing lower intelligence. I tried to dig up the questions on which one's skepticism about psychiatry is measured but could not find them. I also do not know how antiscientific attitudes are quantified. It's not indicated but I am inferring that the respondents with the most skepticism and anti-scientific attitudes were the least likely to prescribe medical treatment for depression symptoms. If so, a rousing win for ignorance today in the UK.

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=165076

 

Alex

[compsports]

""Swami also found that skepticism about psychiatry and anti-scientific attitudes influenced people's views about depression.

 

I think Swami Viren, an ethnic Indian male writing from the UK, thinks of skepticism about psychiatry as showing lower intelligence. I tried to dig up the questions on which one's skepticism about psychiatry is measured but could not find them. I also do not know how antiscientific attitudes are quantified. It's not indicated but I am inferring that the respondents with the most skepticism and anti-scientific attitudes were the least likely to prescribe medical treatment for depression symptoms. If so, a rousing win for ignorance today in the UK.""

 

A--hole.

 

What a stupid statement in light of the fact that most of the drug studies that drive psychiatry are based on financial corruption and not true science.

 

CS