Gender differences and sex-roles in panic disorder

Few studies addressed sex differences in panic disorder. A sample of 364 panic disorder patients, 123 males and 241 females, was assessed in this study with a comprehensive protocol of psychopathological and psychological measures. Differences were found between sexes with women reporting higher psychopathology scores on almost all dimensions, less differences were found in psychological characteristics with men scoring higher in positive affect and masculinity and women scoring higher on negative affect. The dimension masculinity of sex-role behaviour were found inversely related with psychopathology and negative psychological characteristics, and positively related with measures of psychological adjustment. The sex differences found between male and female patients were attenuated when the differences in masculinity between sexes were statiscally controlled. Sex-role behaviour, lack of masculinity typical of the female sex, seemed to be partially responsible for the more severe psychopathological symptoms and disadjusted psychological profile of female panic disorder patients. The study of different groups of patients meeting the same diagnostic criteria is suggested as a useful way to the search of specific mechanisms leading to particular symptomatic constellations.