Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Amy Fiske

Committee Co-Chair

Barry Edelstein

Committee Member

Barry Edelstein

Committee Member

Nicholas Turiano

Abstract

Men are two times less likely to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder than women. However, suicide rates are nearly four times higher in men than women, increasing to six times when comparing older men to older women. Given that affective disorders are present in most individuals who die by suicide, investigators have begun researching the possibility that depression presents differently in individuals who adhere to traditional masculine norms, leading to the conceptualization of masculine depression. Presently, one assessment for masculine depression shows strong reliability and validity evidence: the Male Depression Risk Scale-22 (MDRS-22). Despite burgeoning validity evidence for the MDRS-22 in mixed-age samples, previous studies have largely neglected to consider the possibility of age-related differences in the presentation of masculine depression. The present study was comprised of four aims: (1) to establish age invariance of the MDRS-22; (2) to assess the MDRS-22 for convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity evidence; (3) to determine age-related similarities and differences in the presentation of masculine depression; and (4) to test the MDRS-22’s ability to assess suicidal ideation and behaviors. A multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with groups of younger (18-64 years) and older (65+ years) adults (N = 469). Age invariance for the MDRS-22 was not established. There was a significant difference between the configural and first-order metric models of the CFA (ΔX2 = 451.47, Δdf = 16, p < .001). The MDRS-22 showed convergent validity evidence with assessments of depressive symptoms, alignment with masculine norms, suicidal behaviors, disgust, problematic alcohol use, and aggression and concurrent validity evidence with another assessment of masculine depression. Discriminant validity evidence was not established in the present study. When controlling for depressive symptoms, conformity to masculine norms was significantly associated with masculine depression (F(4, 428) = 226.311, p < .01). Age was not a significant moderator in this association. Finally, masculine depression was significantly associated with suicide risk independent of depressive symptoms (F(2,440) = 138.774, p < .001, R2 = .385). Overall, the study highlights the importance of screening males for masculine depression. Further research is needed to determine if masculine depression presents differently in younger and older males.

Download

Share

COinS