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A step-by-step and data-driven guide to index gender in psychiatry
Enzo Cipriani1,2,3, Eugénie Samson-Daoust1,2, Charles-Edouard Giguère1
1Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal (CRIUSMM), Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Plos One
|January 25, 2024
Summary
This study developed a composite gender score in psychiatric patients, revealing differences in impulsivity and diagnoses beyond biological sex. This approach enhances understanding of individual differences in mental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Sociomedical Sciences
- Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
Background:
- Sociocultural gender variables are increasingly important in psychiatric research for understanding individual differences.
- Existing research often focuses on sex as a binary, overlooking within-sex variations.
- Psychiatric emergency patients present a unique population for studying sex and gender influences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a composite gender score using sociodemographic and psychosocial variables in psychiatric emergency patients.
- To investigate the relationship between this gender score and psychiatric diagnoses and impulsivity.
- To demonstrate the utility of incorporating gender as a variable alongside biological sex in psychiatric research.
Main Methods:
- A data-driven approach using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on a sample of 1708 psychiatric emergency patients.
- Development of a composite gender score based on variables showing sex differences.
- Analysis of the gender score's predictive accuracy for birth-assigned sex and its association with impulsivity and diagnostic categories.
Main Results:
- A composite gender score was developed, predicting birth-assigned sex with 67% accuracy.
- The gender score identified differences in impulsivity not apparent when considering only birth-assigned sex.
- Specific diagnostic patterns emerged: female sex associated with mood/personality disorders; higher feminine scores with anxiety/mood disorders; male sex/masculine scores with psychotic/substance use disorders; undifferentiated scores with psychotic disorders.
Conclusions:
- Considering both biological sex and sociocultural gender is essential in psychiatric research.
- A composite gender score, derived from available demographic and psychosocial data, can effectively index gender.
- This methodology allows for a more nuanced understanding of individual differences in mental health outcomes.
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