Sex differences in response to a self-rating depression scale

Fifty-five male and 80 female psychiatric in-patients complaining of depression completed the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). Both quantitative and qualitative differences were found between male and female respondents. Females had significantly higher (more pathological) total scores than males and significantly higher scores on six individual items. Examination of factor profiles for males and females revealed further differences. These differences are consistent with the thesis that men and women subjectively perceive feelings of depression in disparate ways. The implication of this findings is that the clinical use of the SDS be modified to take such differences into account.