Depressive Affect Among Physically Disabled Men and Women

There is long literature which suggests that females are more likely to report depression than males (e.g. Baron & Campbell, 1993). It has been suggested that it is easier to predict when females are suicidal than males' suicidal tendencies (e.g. Bonner, Kirkpatrick-Smith, Jans, & Rinck, 1992). Since able-bodied girls often feel social pressured to be thin for attractiveness, females are more likely to exhibit disturbed eating behaviors than males within the general population (Andrea, Phelps, & Rizzo, 1994). In the physically disabled population, the refusal to eat is associated with behavioral problems (Finney, Iwata, Riordan, Stanley, & Wohl, 1994).
The present research is designed to examine the degree to which these patterns in the general population are found in the physically disabled population. It has been suggested that shyness in females is a predictor of their depressive affect in adolescence (Brooks-Gunn, J., Compas, B. E., Ey, S., Grant, K. E., & Wohl, M. K., 1993). Disabled adolescents have been reported to have the same rates of depression as nondisabled adolescents (Berg, Hafeman, & Rinck, 1989). Conversely, it has been reported that disabled adults are more likely to comment suicide than nondisabled adults (Longmore, 1996).
Case studies (e.g. Tada, 1992; Kaplan & Sienkiewicz-Mercer, 1989) suggest that disabled female adolescents may experience severe depression, which may be manifested by food refusal stretching into adulthood.
In the present study, the hypothesis that gender differences in depression, suicidal tendencies, and food refusal in the general population would be found in the physically handicapped population was tested.
Fifty-eight males and forty-two females aged sixteen to sixty volunteered to participate in the study. All participants completed a survey that included demographic items, items regarding food refusal, and hopeful feelings. The questionnaire was electronically mailed nationwide to twenty discussion groups and five newsgroups. Also, the survey was distributed at two small northeastern colleges.
Contrary to the relatively robust gender differences, results failed to support the hypothesis that females have more depressive than males in the physically disabled population.
The results will be discussed in terms of sampling issues and data collection. Some participants reported feeling insecure when completing the survey over electronic mail due to divulging personal information. If participants had responded anonymously, they might have felt more confident about completing the survey. The extent to which gender differences in emotional behavior in the general population can be generalized to the physically disabled should be further research in order to best serve the needs of the physically disabled population.

Oneway Analysis of Variance: depression By sex
Source	D.F	Sum of Squares	Mean Squares	F Ratio	F prob
Between Groups	1	78.7182	78.7182	.6284	.4299
Within Groups	96	12025.1185	125.2617
Total	97	12103.8367
Group	Count	Mean	Standard Deviation	Standard Error	95 Pct Conf Int for Mean
Grp 1	57	38.7193	11.0320	1.4612	35.7921 TO 41.6465
Grp 2	41	36.9024	11.4123	1.7823	33.3003 TO 40.5046
Total	98	37.9592	11.1706	1.1284	35.7196 TO 40.1987

There was not a significant effect of sex on depression scores.

References


Andrea, R. K., Phelps, L., & Rizzo, F. C. (1994). Weight 
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Baron, P., & Campbell, T. L. (1993). Gender differences 
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Berg, J., Hafeman, C., & Rinck (1989). The adolescent with
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Bonner, R. L., Kirkpatrick-Smith, J., Jans, R., & Rich, A. 
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Finney, J. W., Iwata, B. A., Riodian, M. M., 
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Kaplan, S. B., & Sienkiewicz-Mercer, R. (1989). 
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Longmore, P. (1996). Paul Longmore Essay.  Electric Edge:
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Tada, J. E. (1992). Painful Words. In When is it Right
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