Management of depression by general practitioners: impact of physician gender.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to determine whether anecdotal claims of gender differences in the treatment of depression by general practitioners (GPs) existed in practice.


METHODS
Referral letters from 100 GPs to a specialized psychiatric depression clinic were analysed by word count and gender of referrer. Second, a Web-based survey of 517 participants examined the impact of GP gender in terms of levels of management nuances.


RESULTS
The first study established that female GPs wrote distinctly longer referral letters. The second study identified that female GPs were seen as distinctly more caring over a range of parameters and identified the impact of some GP-patient gender differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Reasons why female GPs are viewed as more caring - and any impact on the management of those with a depressive disorder - would benefit from refined investigation.
Parker
Gordon B
GB
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia. g.parker@unsw.edu.au
Hyett
Matthew P
MP
D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors