Gender differences in the symptoms of major depression and in the level of social functioning in public primary care patients

BACKGROUND: There are no great differences in the symptom profiles of depression between the genders in observer rating scales, but women self-report more symptoms. OBJECTIVE: To compare gender differences in symptom profiles of clinical depression in primary care with a short self-report depression scale and an observer-rated scale for social functioning. METHODS: A sample of 436 primary care patients aged 18-64 years were screened using the Depression Scale (DEPS) and interviewed using the Present State Examination (PSE). Level of social functioning was also assessed. Sum scores and single items of DEPS were compared between men and women in the groups of both depressive and non-depressive patients,and the interactions between gender and depression were analysed. RESULTS: Depressive men scored poorer on both instruments. Feeling that everything is an effort and feeling worthless were typical for depressive men. Feeling blue was more typical for non-depressive women than for non-depressive men. CONCLUSION: In this sample of primary care patients, there were differences in the symptom profiles of depression between men and women. Depressive men more commonly had serious symptoms than depressive women. Clinically, male depression deserves more attention. The psychosocial profile of public primary care patients in Finland warrants further research.