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Lower levels of anxiety in male compared to female medical students
ISMH Congress 2011 Abstracts Conclusion: A significant portion of men suffering from rheumatic diseases exhibited depressive symptomatology, and this possibility should be taken into account when dealing with the rheumatologic patient. Prevalence of depression in male rheumatologic patients appears comparable with prevalence in female subjects with rheumatic diseases, but larger studies are required to provide an exact estimation of the true dimensions of the problem. Since none of the examined factors (disease duration, blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption) appeared to be related to increased prevalence of depression in our patients, emphasis should be placed on the identification of potential contributors. doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.087
Abstract ID: #0112 LOWER LEVELS OF ANXIETY IN MALE COMPARED TO FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENTS G. Triantafyllou, A. Triantafyllou, E. Gavriilaki, P. Anyfanti, P.-A. Avagianou, K. Petidis, E. Gkaliagkousi, C. Panagos, T. Gkioultzis, A. Ganitis, T. Mpitsis, M. Doumas ∗ 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Background: Mental health disorders are commonly encountered in the general population, and increased prevalence has been associated with physical illness, increasing age, and female sex. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety in a population of young, healthy male medical students, in comparison with a female sample with similar characteristics, and to investigate potential contributing factors. Materials & Methods: Medical students from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. Anxiety severity was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), with a total score ≤17 considered as normal. A total score of 18–24 was considered indicative of mild, 25–29 of moderate, and ≥30 of severe anxiety levels. All participants had their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, smoking and alcohol habits recorded. Results: In total, 91 students participated in the study, 40 males with a mean age of 21 (range 18–32) years, and 51 females with a mean age of 21 (18–24) years. Presence of anxiety was detected in 18.3% of our sample. Males were significantly less anxious than women, 7.3% versus 26.9% respectively, P = 0.031. Blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption did not differ between anxious and non-anxious students. Conclusion: Prevalence of anxiety in young, healthy male medical students is low and significantly lower than in female medical students. Further studies are needed to explain this divergence and determine potential risk factors and management modalities in this particular population subgroup. doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.088
Abstract ID: #0110 GENDER EFFECTS ON ANXIETY RHEUMATIC DISORDERS
LEVELS
IN
MEN
WITH
E. Gavriilaki 1 , A. Triantafyllou 1 , P. Anyfanti 1 , P.-A. Avagianou 1 , G. Triantafyllou 1 , A. Pyrpasopoulou 2 , S. Chatzimichailidou 2 , E. Gkaliagkousi 1 , K. Petidis 1 , E. Christaki 1 , S. Douma 1 , S. Aslanidis 2 , M. Doumas 1,∗
Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), with a total score ≤17 considered as normal. A total score of 18–24 was considered representative of mild, 25–29 of moderate, and > 30 of severe anxiety levels. In addition, all patients had their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure levels, and disease duration recorded. Results: Among the 356 rheumatologic patients included in our study, 74 were men with a mean age of 52.9 ± 14.14 years, and 282 were women aged 54.8 ± 14.3 years. Cumulative prevalence of anxiety was 35.7%, which was further discriminated as mild (52%), moderate (25.2%), and severe (22.8%). Analysis with respect to gender showed that men were significantly less anxious than women, 21.6% versus 39.6% respectively, P = 0.008. In addition, male patients presented significantly lower severity of anxiety compared to female patients (P < 0.001). Age, BMI, blood pressure levels and disease duration did not differ significantly between anxious and non-anxious patients. Conclusion: Although to a lesser degree and less severely compared to women, a significant portion of men exhibited anxiety in the context of rheumatic disease. As such, detection and effective treatment of anxiety should be integrated into the routine clinical practice of physicians dealing with male rheumatologic patients. Since none of the examined factors (age, disease duration, blood pressure levels, obesity) seemed to interfere with the presence of anxiety, further research should focus on the identification of potential contributors. doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.089
Abstract ID: #0108 ASSESSING DEPRESSION IN MALE AND FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENTS G. Triantafyllou, A. Triantafyllou, E. Gavriilaki, P. Anyfanti, P.-A. Avagianou, E. Christaki, N. Lazaridis, K. Petidis, C. Panagos, B. Nikolaidou, C. Sachpekidis, T. Gkioultzis, M. Doumas ∗ 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Background: Prevalence of depression in the general population increases in parallel with age, and is less commonly exhibited by male subjects. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of depression in young, healthy male medical students and compared it with the prevalence of depression in a female population with the same characteristics. Materials & Methods: Consecutive medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, comprised the study population. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Zung self-rating depression scale, with total scores ranging from 20–80 and individuals scoring <50 considered as normal (non-depressive). In addition, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure levels, cigarette and alcohol consumption were recorded for all participants. Results: Among the 78 students who participated in the study, 32 were male aged 21.6 ± 0.4 years, and 46 were female aged 21.6 ± 0.2 years. Depressive symptomatology was found in 3.1% of male students and 13% of female students (P = 0.230). Blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption did not differ significantly between male and female participants. Conclusion: Depression is not frequently encountered in male medical students. Although the prevalence in female students was significantly higher, the difference did not reach statistical significance due to the small number of study participants. Further studies are needed to reveal the exact dimensions of the problem, and to identify potential contributing factors.
1
2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.090
Background: Mental health disorders are commonly encountered in the general population, and higher levels of anxiety have been associated with female sex and presence of physical illness. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety in male subjects suffering from rheumatic diseases of a chronic nature, and compare these findings to those from a female population with similar characteristics. Materials & Methods: Consecutive patients at the Rheumatology Department of Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, comprised the study population. Anxiety levels were measured using the Hamilton
jmh Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 208–245,
2011
237
Abstract ID: #0112 LOWER LEVELS OF ANXIETY IN MALE COMPARED TO FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENTS G. Triantafyllou, A. Triantafyllou, E. Gavriilaki, P. Anyfanti, P.-A. Avagianou, K. Petidis, E. Gkaliagkousi, C. Panagos, T. Gkioultzis, A. Ganitis, T. Mpitsis, M. Doumas ∗ 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Background: Mental health disorders are commonly encountered in the general population, and increased prevalence has been associated with physical illness, increasing age, and female sex. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety in a population of young, healthy male medical students, in comparison with a female sample with similar characteristics, and to investigate potential contributing factors. Materials & Methods: Medical students from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. Anxiety severity was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), with a total score ≤17 considered as normal. A total score of 18–24 was considered indicative of mild, 25–29 of moderate, and ≥30 of severe anxiety levels. All participants had their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, smoking and alcohol habits recorded. Results: In total, 91 students participated in the study, 40 males with a mean age of 21 (range 18–32) years, and 51 females with a mean age of 21 (18–24) years. Presence of anxiety was detected in 18.3% of our sample. Males were significantly less anxious than women, 7.3% versus 26.9% respectively, P = 0.031. Blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption did not differ between anxious and non-anxious students. Conclusion: Prevalence of anxiety in young, healthy male medical students is low and significantly lower than in female medical students. Further studies are needed to explain this divergence and determine potential risk factors and management modalities in this particular population subgroup. doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.088
Abstract ID: #0110 GENDER EFFECTS ON ANXIETY RHEUMATIC DISORDERS
LEVELS
IN
MEN
WITH
E. Gavriilaki 1 , A. Triantafyllou 1 , P. Anyfanti 1 , P.-A. Avagianou 1 , G. Triantafyllou 1 , A. Pyrpasopoulou 2 , S. Chatzimichailidou 2 , E. Gkaliagkousi 1 , K. Petidis 1 , E. Christaki 1 , S. Douma 1 , S. Aslanidis 2 , M. Doumas 1,∗
Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), with a total score ≤17 considered as normal. A total score of 18–24 was considered representative of mild, 25–29 of moderate, and > 30 of severe anxiety levels. In addition, all patients had their body mass index (BMI), blood pressure levels, and disease duration recorded. Results: Among the 356 rheumatologic patients included in our study, 74 were men with a mean age of 52.9 ± 14.14 years, and 282 were women aged 54.8 ± 14.3 years. Cumulative prevalence of anxiety was 35.7%, which was further discriminated as mild (52%), moderate (25.2%), and severe (22.8%). Analysis with respect to gender showed that men were significantly less anxious than women, 21.6% versus 39.6% respectively, P = 0.008. In addition, male patients presented significantly lower severity of anxiety compared to female patients (P < 0.001). Age, BMI, blood pressure levels and disease duration did not differ significantly between anxious and non-anxious patients. Conclusion: Although to a lesser degree and less severely compared to women, a significant portion of men exhibited anxiety in the context of rheumatic disease. As such, detection and effective treatment of anxiety should be integrated into the routine clinical practice of physicians dealing with male rheumatologic patients. Since none of the examined factors (age, disease duration, blood pressure levels, obesity) seemed to interfere with the presence of anxiety, further research should focus on the identification of potential contributors. doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.089
Abstract ID: #0108 ASSESSING DEPRESSION IN MALE AND FEMALE MEDICAL STUDENTS G. Triantafyllou, A. Triantafyllou, E. Gavriilaki, P. Anyfanti, P.-A. Avagianou, E. Christaki, N. Lazaridis, K. Petidis, C. Panagos, B. Nikolaidou, C. Sachpekidis, T. Gkioultzis, M. Doumas ∗ 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece Background: Prevalence of depression in the general population increases in parallel with age, and is less commonly exhibited by male subjects. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of depression in young, healthy male medical students and compared it with the prevalence of depression in a female population with the same characteristics. Materials & Methods: Consecutive medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, comprised the study population. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Zung self-rating depression scale, with total scores ranging from 20–80 and individuals scoring <50 considered as normal (non-depressive). In addition, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure levels, cigarette and alcohol consumption were recorded for all participants. Results: Among the 78 students who participated in the study, 32 were male aged 21.6 ± 0.4 years, and 46 were female aged 21.6 ± 0.2 years. Depressive symptomatology was found in 3.1% of male students and 13% of female students (P = 0.230). Blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking and alcohol consumption did not differ significantly between male and female participants. Conclusion: Depression is not frequently encountered in male medical students. Although the prevalence in female students was significantly higher, the difference did not reach statistical significance due to the small number of study participants. Further studies are needed to reveal the exact dimensions of the problem, and to identify potential contributing factors.
1
2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2 2nd Propedeutic Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology Outpatient Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
doi:10.1016/j.jomh.2011.08.090
Background: Mental health disorders are commonly encountered in the general population, and higher levels of anxiety have been associated with female sex and presence of physical illness. In this study, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of anxiety in male subjects suffering from rheumatic diseases of a chronic nature, and compare these findings to those from a female population with similar characteristics. Materials & Methods: Consecutive patients at the Rheumatology Department of Hippokration General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece, comprised the study population. Anxiety levels were measured using the Hamilton
jmh Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 208–245,
2011
237