TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Sex differences in the symptom network structure of depression: findings from a nationwide sample of the Spanish adult population
JO  - Journal of affective disorders
A1  - Izquierdo, Ana
A1  - Del Castellar, Blanca Dolz
A1  - Miret, Marta
A1  - Olaya, Beatriz
A1  - Haro, Josep Maria
A1  - Mateos, José Luis Ayuso
A1  - Lara, Elvira
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - BACKGROUND: Sex differences in the prevalence and clinical features of depression have been widely described. However, some authors argue that categorical diagnostic systems do not adequately capture the complexity of depression. The aim of this study was to examine sex differences in the symptom network structure of depressive symptoms among individuals with a major depressive episode. <br><br>METHODS: The study sample consisted of 510 participants (age 62.17 ± 14.43, 71.96 % women) from a nationwide study of the Spanish non-institutionalised adult population (Edad con Salud). To estimate the presence of a 12-month major depressive episode according to DSM-IV criteria, participants were administered an adapted version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). A network analysis was carried out to determine possible interrelationships between different depressive symptoms by sex. <br><br>RESULTS: Men and women showed a similar overall structure and network strength. However, sex-specific variations emerged in relation to individual symptom associations and symptom centrality. Specifically, for individual symptom associations "loss of confidence" and "suicide attempts" were more strongly related in women, and "suicidal ideation" and "impaired thinking" in men. For symptom centrality, "anxiety" played a central role in men's symptomatology, whereas "hopelessness", "loss of confidence", "distress" and "slowness of movement" were the most central symptoms in the women's group. LIMITATIONS: Reliance on cross-sectional data precludes us from determining the direction and temporality of the association between different symptoms. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that specific symptoms should be prioritised in the prevention, diagnosis assessment and treatment of depressed patients based on sex.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0165-0327
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.081
ID  - ref1
ER  -