Date Approved
2018
Degree Type
Open Access Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department or School
Psychology
Committee Member
Stephen Jefferson, PhD
Committee Member
Michelle Byrd, PhD
Committee Member
Natalie Dove, PhD
Abstract
Sex differences in major depressive disorder have been a consistent research finding, with women receiving a diagnosis nearly twice as often as men. A substantive amount of research has attempted to address this preponderance. One area that warrants further investigation is the role that gender, a social construct that, in part, refers to the degree to which one enacts traditionally masculine and/or feminine traits, may play in mediating the relationship between sex and depressive symptoms. Secondary data analysis was conducted using a previously collected sample of undergraduate students from a moderately sized Midwestern university. Measures include the Extended Personal Attributes Questionnaire (EPAQ), the Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression Scale (CES-D), and a demographic form used to assess self-reported expression of gender traits, depressive symptoms, and sex, respectively. Results of the present study indicate that masculinity and femininity mediate the relationship between sex and self-reported depressive symptoms.
Recommended Citation
Baluck, Tara A., "Mediating effect of masculinity and femininity on the female preponderance in depression" (2018). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 993.
https://commons.emich.edu/theses/993