Krol, S. (2021) Striking differences between men and women with common mental disorders in treatment and side effects. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Background: There are several gender differences regarding common mental disorders. Women are more prone to affective and anxiety disorders, with more severe symptoms and higher use of psychotropic medication. However, there are still many questions to be answered with respect to the associations between gender, symptom severity, medication use and adverse effects of medication. Aims: To identify differences between men and women in symptomatology, medication use and adverse effects, including reported side effects and prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and other metabolic anomalies, in a large group of psychiatric outpatients with common mental disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, analyzing data collected at three outpatient psychiatric clinics in the Northern Netherlands, in the scope of the MOPHAR (Monitoring Psychopharmacology) monitoring system. Men and women were compared on patient and disease characteristics, symptom severity, use and nature of pharmacological treatment and occurrence of adverse effects. Several predictors of gender differences in reported side effects and prevalence of MetS were identified. Results and conclusion: 1942 subjects were included of whom 1158 (59.6%) were women and 784 (40.4%) were men. Women had a higher symptom severity and were prescribed psychotropic drugs more often, in particular SSRIs (trend level), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), non-lithium mood stabilizers and benzodiazepine(-like) drugs. Psychotropic polypharmacy was also more common in women. Tiredness, concentration, defecation and memory problems, muscle stiffness, tremor, dizziness, dry mouth, stomach complaints and weight change were overall more common in women, whereas involuntary muscle movements were more common in men. Tremor, dizziness and sexual complaints were more frequently reported by men as side effects of psychotropic medication. Higher symptom severity was associated with higher reports of subjective somatic complaints. Higher age predicts higher MetS prevalence in both genders. MetS was more common in men using medication from up to 2 medication groups, while this effect was reversed in ≥3 medication groups.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Cath, prof. dr. D.C. and Liemburg, dr. E.J. |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Dec 2021 12:02 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Dec 2021 12:02 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/2892 |
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