title: [Flanders versus The Netherlands: focus on differences between depressive symptoms in men and women measured on the basis of CES-D8].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A consistent finding in international research is the higher prevalence of depression in women than in men, but it is not known to what extent this gender difference is robust in population research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study we focus on gender differences in depressive symptoms of the population of Flanders and the Netherlands. method We made use of the European Social Survey organised in 2006 and 2007 (n = 3014); depression being measured by means of an 8-item version of the Center of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D. First we studied the psychometric properties of the depression inventory, looking closely at both the reliability and factional validity of the scale. Next we compared the gender and regional differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms as measured by the CES-D8 scale. Finally, using regression analysis, we examined to what extent the gender differences between Flanders and the Netherlands were family-related and linked to socio-economic factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study pointed to the reliability and factional validity of the CES-D8. Our results confirmed a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among women than among men. On average, Flemish respondents reported fewer depressive symptoms than Dutch respondents, but their scores showed greater dispersion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These differences can be explained partly by different family and socioeconomic circumstances.
authors.affiliation: Health and Demographic Research (Hedera, Universiteit Gent. sarah.vandevelde@ugent.de
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van de Velde
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Levecque
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bracke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors