Gender differences in the prevalence of mental distress in East and West Germany over time: a hierarchical age-period-cohort analysis, 2006-2021.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Mental distress has become a major public health concern. Temporal trends in psychological distress are complex and depend on numerous factors. In this study, we examined age-period-cohort effects for mental distress including gender and German region over a 15 years' time span.

Methods

Data on mental distress from ten cross-sectional surveys of the general German population, covering the years from 2006 to 2021, was used. Hierarchical age-period-cohort analyses including gender and German region as predictors were performed to disentangle age, period, and cohort effects. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 was used as a brief screener for mental distress.

Results

We found significant period and cohort effects, with peek values for mental distress in the years

SUBMITTER: Otten D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10089379 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature