Mood disorder in women professionals.

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology
• Medical Sociology

Background:

• Affective disorders, such as depression, are a significant public health concern.
• Understanding the prevalence of these disorders in specific professional groups is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Women in high-stress professions like medicine and academia may face unique challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the lifetime prevalence of primary affective disorder in women with M.D. and Ph.D. degrees.
• To compare the prevalence rates between these two professional groups.
• To investigate the familial aggregation of affective disorder within these groups.

Main Methods:

• Personal interviews were conducted with women physicians (M.D.) and women Ph.D.s.
• The study groups were matched for age, race, and marital status to control for demographic variables.
• Family history was collected to assess affective disorder in first-degree relatives.

Main Results:

• Thirty-nine percent of women physicians and 30% of women Ph.D.s reported a lifetime prevalence of primary affective disorder.
• No increased prevalence of depression was observed in women psychiatrists or psychologists specifically.
• Affective disorder was diagnosed in 11% of relatives of depressed M.D.s and 7% of relatives of depressed Ph.D.s, compared to 2% in relatives of non-depressed individuals in both groups.

Conclusions:

• Affective disorder is highly prevalent among professional women in medicine and academia.
• The study suggests a potential heritable component to affective disorder in these populations.
• The findings raise questions about potential self-selection into demanding careers by women with a predisposition to affective disorders.