Perception of depression and anxiety by family physicians according to patient gender

Abstract

Objective: To assess whether the gender of the patient is associated with the diagnosis of depression and anxiety and the use of antidepressant therapy by family physicians in Portugal. Type of study: cross-sectional. Place: Autumn Schools of Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar in 2014. Population: A convenience sample of family physicians and family medicine residents participating in this continuing education event. Methods: We distributed an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire containing two case vignettes that differed only in the gender of the patient. Each participant had access to only one version. Results: We collected 79 responses for each version (158 respondents). In this sample, 82.3% of respondents were female and 90.5% were family medicine residents. The average age of the sample is 29.7 years. The difference between the male and female case vignette for the diagnosis of depression was p=0.046. The diagnosis of anxiety was more likely in male patients with a statistically significant difference (p<0.001). There were no differences between genders regarding the prediction of recovery without medication, predicted benefit from antidepressant therapy or psychotherapy, and the severity of depression. Conclusions: When facing symptoms of a major depressive episode, the patient’s gender does not appear to influence the diagnosis of depression by family physicians. Given the same symptoms, male patients were more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety. The use of standardized clinical vignettes may not represent the participants’ actual choices in clinical situations. This sample was composed mainly of family medicine residents attending an educational event. It may not be representative of all family physicians in Portugal. This study may serve as a starting point for critical reflection on the effects of patient gender on clinical perception.