Sex differences in the reporting of symptoms of depression in the general population

The notion of sex differences in depression is well documented in the clinical literature. The origin of such differences is rather less well understood, though some recent opinion has it that sex differences represent no more than measurement artifact based on social influences on the reporting of emotional symptoms. The present study examined sex differences in the reporting of depressive symptoms in a random sample of a general population. Differences in prevalence were found to exist in the expected direction. Moreover, it was found that sex differences held as prominently for somatic symptoms of depression as for emotional or affective symptoms. This latter point is contrary to predictions which can be made on the basis of the "artifact' theory fo sex differences in depression, and leads to the conclusion that such differences represent a real clinical phenomenon.