Sex differences in patterns of self-reported psychopathology in the married elderly

Administered to 106 married male and female residents of a retirement community the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) form of the SCL-90. Although no difference was found between males and females on an overall index of psychological distress, a discriminant function analysis indicated that three (Anxiety, Interpersonal Sensitivity, and Paranoid Ideation) of the nine scales provided maximum separation of the two groups. Results supported the conclusion that with marital status, education, and health controlled, male and female elderly Ss show distinct patterns of distress.