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Does victimization account for sex differences in depressive symptoms?
1School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|May 1, 1997
Summary
Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) significantly contributes to higher depression levels in women compared to men. Adult victimization did not further explain these sex differences in depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Women exhibit higher rates of depression and victimization than men.
- Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adult victimization are potential contributing factors to sex differences in depression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if CSA and adult victimization explain the higher depression levels observed in women.
- To compare depressive symptoms and victimization histories between men and women in psychotherapy.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study was conducted on 91 men and 76 women seeking outpatient psychotherapy.
- Data collected included depressive symptoms and histories of childhood sexual abuse and adult victimization.
Main Results:
- Women reported higher depression levels and a greater prevalence of CSA history compared to men.
- CSA significantly accounted for a portion of the observed sex difference in depression.
- While women also experienced higher rates of adult victimization, it was not associated with increased depression levels.
Conclusions:
- Childhood sexual abuse is a key factor explaining higher depression rates in women.
- Adult victimization does not appear to be a significant factor in the sex-based disparity of depression levels in this sample.