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Gender, Parity and the Prevalence of Minor Affective Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

P. E. Bebbington ,
C. Dean ,
G. Der ,
J. Hurry  and
C. Tennant
P. E. Bebbington*
Affiliation:
MRC Social Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF
C. Dean
Affiliation:
University of Birmingham, Department of Psychiatry, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham B15 2TH
G. Der
Affiliation:
Thomas Coram Research Unit, University of London
J. Hurry
Affiliation:
Thomas Coram Research Unit, University of London
C. Tennant
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Sydney
*
∗Correspondence
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Abstract

Data from a two-stage survey of the general population were used to test the proposition that the over-representation of minor affective disorders among women was restricted to those who had had children, independently of current involvement in childcare. Initial analyses supported this proposition strongly. Subsequent linear logistic analyses were largely in favour of an effect of marriage rather than of parity, but it remains possible that part of the gender differences in rates of depression arises because of the effect of parity in raising female prevalence. If substantiated, the parity effect could operate through social or biological mechanisms; although its nature is unclear, it merits further investigation.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 40 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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