Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 6 July 2011
Natalie, Slopen , David R., Williams , Garrett, Fitzmaurice , Stephen E., Gilman
Higher rates of major depression (MD) among females, and of alcohol dependence (AD) among males, are among the most routinely reported findings in psychiatric epidemiology. One of the most often pursued explanations for sex differences in both disorders suggests that males and females have a differential vulnerability to stressors, which is manifested in sex-specific ways (MD for females, AD for males). However, existing evidence in support of this explanation is mixed. In the present study, we investigated sex differences in the association between stressful life events and MD and AD in a large national sample of adults in the United…
Highlights: ► Using a large prospective US national sample, we investigate if males and females have sex-specific responses to stress. ► The number of stressful events predicted onset of major depression and alcohol dependence in both males and females. ► We did not find evidence that sex-specific responses to stressful events lead to sex differences for either disorder. ► There is a need for new models that incorporate both physiological and social aspects of vulnerability.