Effects Of Age And Gender On The Phenomenology Of Depression

Objective:The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of age and gender on depressive classification and phenomenology in depressed out-patients. To explore the differences of clinical characteristics among groups of out-patients with depression.Methods:The author used rating scales to assess328out-patients with depression, which included Hamilton depression rating scale-24, Montgomery-Asberg depression rating scale, Hamilton anxiety rating scale and Specific symptoms screening scale.Results:Old depressed subjects exhibited significantly more feeling of guilt, agitation, anxiety psychic, anxiety somatic, somatic symptoms, hypochondriasis, paranoid state and cognitive impairment. Male depressed subjects showed significantly more work and activities, retardation, genital symptoms and depersonalization. Anxiety, somatic symptoms and psychotic symptoms were characteristics of old depressed females. There were interaction of age and gender on depressed mood, diurnal variation and lack of motivation.Conclusion:It is concluded that increasing age in depression may be accompanied by an increase in severity of illness. Age, gender and their interaction pattern appear to affect symptom elevation and symptom profile. The phenomenological differences between younger men or women, and older men and women are quantitative(dimensional) rather than qualitative (categorical).