Is the US Gender Gap in Depression Changing Over Time? A Meta-Regression.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Platt JM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8484777 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ImportanceComplex biological, socioeconomic, and psychological variables combine to cause mental illnesses, with mounting evidence that early-life experiences are associated with adulthood mental health.ObjectiveTo evaluate whether changing neighborhood income deprivation and residential moves during childhood are associated with the risk of receiving a diagnosis of depression in adulthood.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study included the whole population of 1 096 916 people born in Denmark from January 1, 1982, to December 31, 2003, who resided in the country during their first 15 years of life. Individuals were followed up from 15 years of age until either death, emigration, depression diagnosis, or December 31, 2018. Longitudinal data on residential location was obtained by linking all individuals to the Danish longitudinal population register. Statistical analysis was performed from June 2022 to January 2024.ExposuresExposures included a neighborhood income deprivation index at place of residence for each year from birth to 15 years of age and a mean income deprivation index for the entire childhood (aged ≤15 years). Residential moves were considered by defining "stayers" as individuals who lived in the same data zone during their entire childhood and "movers" as those who did not.Main outcomes and measuresMultilevel survival analysis determined associations between neighborhood-level income deprivation and depression incidence rates after adjustment for individual factors. Results were reported as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% credible intervals (95% CrIs). The hypotheses were formulated before data collection.ResultsA total of 1 096 916 individuals (563 864 male participants [51.4%]) were followed up from 15 years of age. During follow-up, 35 098 individuals (23 728 female participants [67.6%]) received a diagnosis of depression. People living in deprived areas during childhood had an increased risk of depression (IRR, 1.10 [95% CrI, 1.08-1.12]). After full individual-level adjustment, the risk was attenuated (IRR, 1.02 [95% CrI, 1.01-1.04]), indicating an increase of 2% in depression incidence for each 1-SD increase in income deprivation. Moving during childhood, independent of neighborhood deprivation status, was associated with significantly higher rates of depression in adulthood compared with not moving (IRR, 1.61 [95% CrI, 1.52-1.70] for 2 or more moves after full adjustment).Conclusions and relevanceThis study suggests that, rather than just high or changing neighborhood income deprivation trajectories in childhood being associated with adulthood depression, a settled home environment in childhood may have a protective association against depression. Policies that enable and support settled childhoods should be promoted.
| S-EPMC11255978 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Evaluating covariate effects on gap times between successive recurrent events is of interest in many medical and public health studies. While most existing methods for recurrent gap time analysis focus on modeling the hazard function of gap times, a direct interpretation of the covariate effects on the gap times is not available through these methods. In this article, we consider quantile regression that can provide direct assessment of covariate effects on the quantiles of the gap time distribution. Following the spirit of the weighted risk-set method by Luo and Huang (2011, Statistics in Medicine 30, 301-311), we extend the martingale-based estimating equation method considered by Peng and Huang (2008, Journal of the American Statistical Association 103, 637-649) for univariate survival data to analyze recurrent gap time data. The proposed estimation procedure can be easily implemented in existing software for univariate censored quantile regression. Uniform consistency and weak convergence of the proposed estimators are established. Monte Carlo studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. An application to data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register is presented to illustrate the methods developed in this article.
| S-EPMC4123128 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The gender pay gap has been observed for decades, and still exists. Due to a life course perspective, gender differences in income are analyzed over a period of 24 years. Therefore, this study aims to investigate income trajectories and the differences regarding men and women. Moreover, the study examines how human capital determinants, occupational positions and factors that accumulate disadvantages over time contribute to the explanation of the GPG in Germany. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the GPG over the life course. The data are based on the German cohort study lidA (living at work), which links survey data individually with employment register data. Based on social security data, the income of men and women over time are analyzed using a multilevel analysis. The results show that the GPG exists in Germany over the life course: men have a higher daily average income per year than women. In addition, the income developments of men rise more sharply than those of women over time. Moreover, even after controlling for factors potentially explaining the GPG like education, work experience, occupational status or unemployment episodes the GPG persists. Concluding, further research is required that covers additional factors like individual behavior or information about the labor market structure for a better understanding of the GPG.
| S-EPMC8733696 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDepression is a leading cause of disability, with older people particularly susceptible to poor outcomes.AimsTo investigate whether the prevalence of depression and antidepressant use have changed across two decades in older people.MethodThe Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS I and CFAS II) are two English population-based cohort studies of older people aged ≥65 years, with baseline measurements for each cohort conducted two decades apart (between 1990 and 1993 and between 2008 and 2011). Depression was assessed by the Geriatric Mental State examination and diagnosed with the Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer-Assisted Taxonomy algorithm.ResultsIn CFAS I, 7635 people aged ≥65 years were interviewed, of whom 1457 were diagnostically assessed. In CFAS II, 7762 people were interviewed and diagnostically assessed. Age-standardised depression prevalence in CFAS II was 6.8% (95% CI 6.3-7.5%), representing a non-significant decline from CFAS I (risk ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.64-1.07, P = 0.14). At the time of CFAS II, 10.7% of the population (95% CI 10.0-11.5%) were taking antidepressant medication, more than twice that of CFAS I (risk ratio 2.79, 95% CI 1.96-3.97, P < 0.0001). Among care home residents, depression prevalence was unchanged, but the use of antidepressants increased from 7.4% (95% CI 3.8-13.8%) to 29.2% (95% CI 22.6-36.7%).ConclusionsA substantial increase in the proportion of the population reporting taking antidepressant medication is seen across two decades for people aged ≥65 years. However there was no evidence for a change in age-specific prevalence of depression.
| S-EPMC7557614 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Women underrepresentation in science has frequently been associated with women being less productive than men (i.e. the gender productivity gap), which may be explained by women having lower success rates, producing science of lower impact and/or suffering gender bias. By performing global meta-analyses, we show that there is a gender productivity gap mostly supported by a larger scientific production ascribed to men. However, women and men show similar success rates when the researchers' work is directly evaluated (i.e. publishing articles). Men's success rate is higher only in productivity proxies involving peer recognition (e.g. evaluation committees, academic positions). Men's articles showed a tendency to have higher global impact but only if studies include self-citations. We detected gender bias against women in research fields where women are underrepresented (i.e. those different from Psychology). Historical numerical unbalance, socio-psychological aspects and cultural factors may influence differences in success rate, science impact and gender bias. Thus, the maintenance of a women-unfriendly academic and non-academic environment may perpetuate the gender productivity gap. New policies to build a more egalitarian and heterogeneous scientific community and society are needed to close the gender gap in science.
| S-EPMC6599789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionPrevious research has shown that screen time is associated with depression, especially in children. Some evidence further suggests that the association may be stronger in women than in men, although findings are inconclusive. This cross-sectional study examines the association between screen time and depression in representative U.S. adults, stratified by gender.MethodsThis study used data from the 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; analysis was conducted in 2023. Screen time was partitioned into 3 categories-0-2 hours, 3-4 hours, and >4 hours-and included TV and computer time. Depression was defined as a Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10. TV time and computer time were also analyzed as separate exposures. A multivariable logistic regression model examined the association between screen time and depression.ResultsResults showed that there was a significant interaction between gender and screen time. An association between the highest screen time exposure group and depression was observed for women (>4 hours per day: OR=3.09; 95% CI=1.68, 5.70). The type of screen time affected the relationship, with TV showing a stronger association than computer time. There were no significant associations in men across all exposure groups.ConclusionsFurther research is needed to determine whether higher levels of screen time, especially TV, may be a depression risk marker for women but not men.
| S-EPMC10831171 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Stay-at-home-orders, online learning, and work from home policies are some of the responses governments, universities, and other institutions adopted to slow the spread of COVID-19. However, research shows these measures have increased pre-existing gender disparities in the workplace. The working conditions for women during the pandemic worsened due to increased family care responsibilities and unequal distribution of domestic labor. In the academy, working from home has resulted in reduced research time and increased teaching and family care responsibilities, with a larger proportion of that burden falling to women. We investigate the persistence of gender inequity among academic scientists resulting from university COVID-19 responses over time. We draw on two surveys administered in May 2020 and May 2021 to university-based biologists, biochemists, and civil and environmental engineers, to analyze how the pandemic response has disproportionately impacted women in academia and the endurance of those inequities. Results show significantly greater negative impacts from the pandemic on women's research activities and work-life balance, compared to men. We conclude by discussing the implications of our results, and the need for the academy to better predict and adjust to the gender disparities its policies create.
| S-EPMC9269954 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundGender discrimination (GD) and sexual harassment (SH) occur at all academic institutions worldwide. Medical students report high prevalence of GD and SH, which may negatively affect their education and health. There are indications that policies and reforms on reducing GD/SH are insufficient. Swedish medical students' experiences of GD/SH are monitored by course-evaluations and bi-annual student union evaluations; however, the response rate is usually low. The aim of this study was to compare the exposure to and context of self-reported GD/SH over an 11-year period amongst medical students at a Swedish university.MethodsIn 2002, a questionnaire (n = 622) was mailed to medical students' home addresses. It was repeated in 2013 and then distributed during mandatory lectures (n = 856). The questions used a behavioristic approach and asked about specific GH/SH experiences. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. The changes in prevalence over time were calculated by sampling weights in order to obtain comparable estimates, representative of both cohorts.ResultsThe response frequency was 55% (62% women) in 2002 and 81% (59% women) in 2013. The prevalence of GD tended to decrease for male and clinical students in comparison to female and pre-clinical peers. However, the prevalence of SH increased for female compared to male students. The ratio of SH for female pre-clinical students doubled in many instances; most often, the mistreatment occurred in the clinic. Medical doctors were indicated as perpetrators up to five times more often by all students in 2013.ConclusionOur results show a disproportional change in exposure to GD/SH between female and male medical students, resulting in a widening of the gender gap regarding prevalence of GD and SH between 2002 and 2013. In particular, personal experiences of SH increased for both sexes. It is proof that institutional efforts to fight mistreatment might be ineffective.
| S-EPMC7731624 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAssessing change and comparing groups requires high quality and invariant scales. However, there is limited evidence of simultaneous longitudinal and gender measurement invariance for depression scales. This evidence is even more scant with long-established panel studies from low and middle-income countries.MethodsIn this paper, we used three waves (years 2002, 2005, and 2009) of a nationally representative panel study to examine the psychometric properties of the modified Calderon Depression Scale (CAL-DM)-a one-item exclusion of a depression scale designed for a population residing in a middle-income country (i.e., Mexico). Our analytical sample included 16,868 participants: 7,696 men and 9,172 women. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), we first examined overall fit in each wave, and then we tested time, gender, and time-gender measurement invariance across three waves. We also estimated and compared depression score means by gender and time. Finally, we examined the association between depression scores and self-rated health.ResultsOur analyses indicated the CAL-DM is a robust scale, suitable for time, gender, and time by gender comparisons. Mean comparisons exemplified how the scale can be used as a latent variable or a summative score. Women have higher depression scores than men and the gap is narrowing from 3.4 in 2002 to 2.5 in 2009.ConclusionsThe CAL-DM is a reliable instrument to measure depression in the Mexican general population that can be used for epidemiological research. Our results will contribute to a burgeoning line of research that examines the social determinants of depression, and the risk factors associated with different individuals' depression trajectories over the life course.
| S-EPMC9233789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesMedical behaviors are playing significant roles in the delivery of high quality and cost-effective health services. Timely discovery of changing frequencies of medical behaviors is beneficial for the improvement of health services. The main objective of this work is to discover the changing trends of medical behaviors over time.MethodsThis study proposes a two-steps approach to detect essential changing patterns of medical behaviors from Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). In detail, a probabilistic topic model, i.e., Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), is firstly applied to disclose yearly treatment patterns in regard to the risk stratification of patients from a large volume of EMRs. After that, the changing trends by comparing essential/critical medical behaviors in a specific time period are detected and analyzed, including changes of significant patient features with their values, and changes of critical treatment interventions with their occurring time stamps.ResultsWe verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach on a clinical dataset containing 12,152 patient cases with a time range of 10 years. Totally, 135 patients features and 234 treatment interventions in three treatment patterns were selected to detect their changing trends. In particular, evolving trends of yearly occurring probabilities of the selected medical behaviors were categorized into six content changing patterns (i.e, 112 growing, 123 declining, 43 up-down, 16 down-up, 35 steady, and 40 jumping), using the proposed approach. Besides, changing trends of execution time of treatment interventions were classified into three occurring time changing patterns (i.e., 175 early-implemented, 50 steady-implemented and 9 delay-implemented).ConclusionsExperimental results show that our approach has an ability to utilize EMRs to discover essential evolving trends of medical behaviors, and thus provide significant potential to be further explored for health services redesign and improvement.
| S-EPMC5435874 | biostudies-literature