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Gender and depression in Anglo-Jewry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

K. Loewenthal ,
V. Goldblatt ,
T. Gorton ,
G. Lubitsch ,
H. Bicknell ,
D. Fellowes  and
A. Sowden
K. Loewenthal*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
V. Goldblatt
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
T. Gorton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
G. Lubitsch
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
H. Bicknell
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
D. Fellowes
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
A. Sowden
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Kate Loewenthal, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX.
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Synopsis

This study found similar prevalence of case depression among men as among women in a sample of 339 Jews affiliated to orthodox synagogues (157 men and 182 women). There were significant gender differences in several social–situational factors and symptoms, mostly in the direction that would suggest that case depression would be higher among women than among men. That this was not so is suggested to be the result of the cultural milieu: social factors that have been found to be associated with depression in other groups of people did not function as risk or vulnerability factors among the Jews studied. In particular, the evidence indicates the importance of specific cultural–religious values in contributing towards the prevalences that were observed. These values included the esteem attached to women's central role in family management and the low use of alcohol and suicide as escape routes from depression.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 5 , September 1995 , pp. 1051 - 1063
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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