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Depression in Relation to Sex Roles

Differences in Learned Susceptibility and Precipitating Factors

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Sex Roles and Psychopathology

Abstract

There is a considerable body of research comparing rates of mental illness for the two sexes. When all categories are combined, it is unclear that either sex has an overall rate greater than the other (Gove, 1980), though there are clear differences in rates for specific forms of psychopathology. Indeed, a current trend is to analyze particular psychopathologies in terms of sex roles in order to better understand and treat them. For example, suggestions have been made that personality disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and unlawful behaviors may be ways in which men exhibit their emotional distress and psychopathology based on the male sex role (Johnson, 1980; Weissman and Klerman, 1979). In addition, many researchers have interpreted higher rates of depression in women in terms of various aspects of the female sex role (Radloff, 1975; Weissman and Klerman, 1977, Radloff and Cox, 1981).

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© 1984 Plenum Press, New York

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Cox, S., Radloff, L.S. (1984). Depression in Relation to Sex Roles. In: Widom, C.S. (eds) Sex Roles and Psychopathology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4562-6_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-4562-6_6

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