Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T14:05:23.050Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Sex differences in perception of illness and expressed life satisfaction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Monica E. Briscoe*
Affiliation:
the General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Mrs Monica E. Briscoe, General Practice Research Unit, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.

Synopsis

A preliminary survey of 10 married couples was carried out to test the hypothesis that women express greater dissatisfaction with their health and other personal life domains than men. Although the women made more use of medical facilities for minor complaints than their husbands, no difference was found in expressed satisfaction, or in number or severity of symptoms reported at interview. However, there was a discrepancy between husbands' and wives' perception of their spouses' satisfaction levels and experience of illness-symptoms, in the direction of wives being perceived by their husbands as considerably less healthy and more dissatisfied than the husbands were rated by their wives. Some evidence was also found for greater emotionality in women. The results are regarded as indicating that illness is more socially acceptable in women than in men.

Type
Preliminary Communication
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrams, M. (1973). Subjective social indicators. Social Trends 4, 3550.Google Scholar
Abrams, M. (1976). A Review of Work on Subjective Social Indicators 1971 to 1975. Occasional Papers in Survey Research, No. 8. SSRC Survey Unit: London.Google Scholar
Abrams, M. & Hall, J. (1972). The Condition of the British People. Report on a pilot survey using self-rating scales. SSRC Survey Unit: London.Google Scholar
Anderson, R., Anderson, O. W. & Smedby, B. (1968). Perception of and response to symptoms of illness in Sweden and the United States. Medical Care 6 (1), 1830.Google Scholar
Andrews, F. M. & Withey, S. B. (1976). Social Indicators of Well-being: Americans' Perception of Life Quality. Pelman Press: New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Banks, M. H., Beresford, S. A. A., Morrell, D. C., Waller, J. J. & Watkins, C. J. (1975). Factors influencing demand for primary medical care in women aged 20–44 years: a preliminary report. International Journal of Epidemiology 4(3), 189195.Google Scholar
Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The Structure of Psychological Well-being. Aldine: Chicago.Google Scholar
Broverman, I., Broverman, D., Clarkson, F., Rosenkranz, P. & Vogel, S. (1970). Sex role stereotype and clinical judgments of mental health. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 34, 17.Google Scholar
Campbell, A. & Converse, P. E. (1972). The Human Meaning of Social Change. Russell Sage Foundation: New York.Google Scholar
Cooperstock, R. (1971). Sex differences in the use of moodmodifying drugs: an explanatory model. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 12, 238244.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dohrenwend, B. P. & Dohrenwend, B. S. (1976). Sex differences and psychiatric disorders. American Journal of Sociology 81 (6), 14471454.Google Scholar
Dorn, H. F. (1951). Methods of measuring incidence and prevalence of disease. American Journal of Public Health 41, 271278.Google Scholar
Fabrikant, B. (1974). The psychotherapist and the female patient: perceptions and change. In Women in Therapy (ed. Franks, V. and Burtle, V.). Brunner/Mazel: New York.Google Scholar
Friedson, E. (1970). Profession of Medicine. Dodd, Mead & Co.: New York.Google Scholar
Garai, J. E. (1970). Sex differences in mental health. Genetic Psychology Monographs 81 (2), 123142.Google Scholar
Goldberg, E. M. & Neill, J. E. (1972). Social Work in General Practice. George Allen & Unwin: London.Google Scholar
Hall, J. & Ring, J. (1974). Indicators of Environmental Quality and Life Satisfaction—a subjective approach. SSRC Survey Unit: London.Google Scholar
Nowacki, C. & Poe, C. (1973). The concept of mental health as related to sex of person perceived. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 40, 160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Philips, D. L. (1964). Rejection of the mentally-ill: the influence of behaviour and sex. American Sociological Review 34, 5872.Google Scholar
Philips, D. & Segal, B. (1969). Sexual status and psychiatric symptoms. American Sociological Review 34, 5872.Google Scholar
Shepherd, M., Cooper, B., Brown, A. C. & Kalton, G. W. (1964). Minor mental illness in London: some aspects of a general practice survey. British Medical Journal ii, 13591363.Google Scholar
Tavris, C. & Offir, C. (1977). The Longest War. Sex Differences in Perspective. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: New York.Google Scholar
Taylor, D. G., Aday, L. A. & Anderson, R. (1975). A social indicator of access to medical care. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 16, 3949.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verbrugge, L. M. (1975). Sex Differences in Illness and Death in the United States. Occasional Paper, Baltimore Center for Metropolitan Planning & Research. The Johns Hopkins University.Google Scholar
Verbrugge, L. M. (1976). Females and illness. Recent trends in sex differences in the United States. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour 17, 387403.Google Scholar