| Depression toll varies by sex
TORONTO, Feb. 15 : Toronto researchers say clinically
depressed women are more likely than depressed men
to see themselves as anxious, self-conscious and vulnerable.
A team from the University of Toronto and the Centre
for Addiction and Mental Health, writing in the January
issue of the journal and Individual Differences, noted
there are two general measures of personality traits
exhibited by people with depression: sociotropy and
autonomy.
Those who are sociotropic, mostly women, are concerned,
for instance, about maintaining close relationships
and may become depressed after experiencing an interpersonal
failure or loss.
Autonomous individuals, mostly men, are excessively
concerned with their sense of self-worth, based on
achievement and control, so loss of a job can trigger
depression.
Tests administered in 2003 to 118 and 202 women found
sociotropic women saw themselves as extremely anxious,
depressed, self-conscious and vulnerable whereas men
saw themselves as hostile.
For instance, a highly sociotropic man experiencing
the breakup of a relationship is more likely to become
angry. A woman, on the other hand, may be more depressed
and feel vulnerable about the loss.
The researchers found no personality differences
between men and women who exhibited autonomous traits.
Copyright 2005 by United Press International
|
