Objective: Investigate gender-specific disparities in depressive symptoms among Hispanic Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) scores.
Background: PD not only affects motor functions but also has implications for mental health, contributing to the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Understanding gender differences in depressive symptoms among PD patients is crucial for tailored intervention strategies. The CES-D, widely employed for its accessibility and user-friendly nature in assessing depressive symptoms, emerges as a valuable screening test for this purpose.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 66 Hispanic adults diagnosed with PD, all of whom provided informed consent. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). A two-independent-sample T-test, assuming unequal variances, was performed on CES-D scores.
Results: Participants, consisting of 62% males (41) and 38% females (25), demonstrated mean ages of 69±8 and 65±9, respectively. The mean CES-D scores exhibited a significant disparity between female (22) and male (18) patients. Noteworthy variance in depressive symptomatology was observed (female group: 66.61, male group: 76.15). The T-test yielded a statistically significant result (t=1.95, p=0.0281, one-tailed), signifying a higher mean depressive symptomatology in the female group. However, the two-tailed p-value (0.0563) slightly exceeded the conventional significance level of 0.05.
Conclusion: These findings emphasize the importance of considering gender-specific factors in addressing depressive symptoms among PD patients. Gender differences in CES-D scores suggest tailored interventions, especially for females with PD. Further research into contributing factors is warranted to comprehend observed gender disparities in PD-related depressive symptomatology.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
C. Rodriguez-Alarcon, D. Piana-Castillo, G. Faggioni-Sanchez, D. Bustamante-Mieles, C. Cevallos-Velasco, M. Barreiro-Guillén, R. Santibanez-Vasquez. Gender Disparities in Depressive Symptoms among Hispanic Parkinson’s Disease Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2024; 39 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/gender-disparities-in-depressive-symptoms-among-hispanic-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-cross-sectional-study/. Accessed May 10, 2025.« Back to 2024 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/gender-disparities-in-depressive-symptoms-among-hispanic-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-cross-sectional-study/