Mediating effect of masculinity and femininity on the female preponderance in depression

<p>Sex differences in major depressive disorder have been a consistent research finding, with women receiving a diagnosis nearly twice as often as men. A substantive amount of research has attempted to address this preponderance. One area that warrants further investigation is the role that gender, a social construct that, in part, refers to the degree to which one enacts traditionally masculine and/or feminine traits, may play in mediating the relationship between sex and depressive symptoms. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a previously collected sample of undergraduate students from a moderately sized Midwestern university. Measures include the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ), the Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale (CES-D), and a demographic form used to assess self-reported expression of gender traits, depressive symptoms, and sex, respectively. Results of the present study indicate that masculinity and femininity mediate the relationship between sex and self-reported depressive symptoms.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2018

Author dc:creator

• Baluck, Tara A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Stephen Jefferson, PhD
• Michelle Byrd, PhD
• Natalie Dove, PhD

• androgyny
• depression
• EPAQ
• femininity
• gender
• masculinity
• Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/993

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2384