This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Lower scores for depressive symptoms found among married vs unmarried women with systemic sclerosis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Women with systemic sclerosis who were married had lower scores for depressive symptoms compared with unmarried women, according to results.
Using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and marital satisfaction with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-7 (DAS-7), researchers assessed depressive symptoms among 725 women with systemic sclerosis. Of these patients, 68% were married.
Results showed CES-D scores had a significant correlation with unmarried status, less than high school education, more tender joints, more gastrointestinal involvement and more lung involvement. Compared with unmarried women, researchers found CES-D depressive symptom scores were, on average, 2 points lower among married women and that married women had greater marital satisfaction associated with fewer symptoms of depression. Depending on marital satisfaction, the predicted CES-D scores of married women ranged from 6.7 points lower to 6.9 points higher compared with unmarried women, according to results. Researchers noted greater predicted depressive symptoms among married women whose marital satisfaction scores were below the 19 th percentile. – by Casey Tingle
Disclosures: Levis reports a doctorial award from the Fonds de recherché du Québec-Santé. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts