Figure - available from: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Source publication
Purpose
Mental distress has become a major public health concern. Temporal trends in psychological distress are complex and depend on numerous factors. In this study, we examined age-period-cohort effects for mental distress including gender and German region over a 15 years’ time span.
Methods
Data on mental distress from ten cross-sectional surv...
Citations
... Psychological distress characterized by symptoms of anxiety and depression has become a significant public health concern affecting the quality of life, work productivity, physical illnesses, and life expectancy of a large proportion of the general population [1,2]. Population surveys and epidemiological studies in several countries indicate that women report higher levels of psychological distress than men [3][4][5][6][7]. ...
... Evidence shows that gender disparities in psychological distress may vary according to context or socio-cultural setting [1][2][3]6,9]. Studies have found a relationship between gender differences, social inequalities, and psychological distress, with higher levels found in those from the lowest social class compared to the highest class [10]. ...
Background
Psychological distress has become a significant public health concern, and gender differences in psychological distress are well documented in the literature. This study investigated determinants of gender disparities in psychological distress among youth and adults in South Africa.
Methods
This study data used obtained from the 2017 National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour, and Communication Survey conducted using a multi-stage stratified random cluster sampling design. Multivariate backward stepwise logistic regression models were used to determine the factors associated with psychological distress among males and females.
Results
In the male model, the odds of psychological distress were significantly higher among those who reported fair/poor self-rated health [AOR=1.7% (95% CI: 1.2-2.4), p=0.003], and excessive alcohol users [AOR=1.6% (95% CI: 1.1-2.3), p=0.008]. The odds were significantly lower among those with tertiary education level [AOR=0.5% (95% CI: 0.3-0.9), p=0.031], those from rural formal/farm areas [AOR=0.6% (95% 0.4-1.0), p=0.046], and those who were HIV negative [AOR=0.7% (95% CI: 0.4-1.0), p=0.051]. In the female model, the odds of psychological distress were significantly higher among those who reported fair/poor self-rated health [AOR=2.6% (95% CI: 2.0-3.4), p<0.001], and excessive alcohol users [AOR=2.0% (95% CI: 1.3-3.1), p=0.002]. The odds were significantly lower among the employed [AOR=0.7% (95% CI: 0.5-0.9), p=0.002], those from rural informal/tribal areas [AOR=0.6% (95% CI: 0.5-0.8), p=0.001], rural formal/farm areas [AOR=0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.9), p=0.015], and those with correct HIV knowledge and myth rejection [AOR=0.6% (95% CI: 0.4-0.7), p<0.001].
Conclusion
The findings highlight the need for tailored gender-specific interventions and targeting identified high-risk groups. The finding also underscores the importance of integrated interventions to address the adverse effects of harmful alcohol use and HIV-positive serostatus on psychological distress.
