title: Gender differences in positive mental health among individuals with schizophrenia.
abstract: This article aims to investigate the gender differences in positive mental health among outpatients with schizophrenia.
  
  
  
  142 outpatients (aged 21-65 years) with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited from a tertiary psychiatric hospital. They were administered the following instruments: The Positive Mental Health (PMH) instrument, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-8 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)-7, and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale. Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were gathered from interviews with the participants as well as from their medical records. Independent t-tests and chi-square tests were performed to investigate the gender differences in PMH total and domain-specific scores. Association of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics with PMH was furthered explored in men and women independently using multiple linear regression analyses using backward stepwise method.
  
  
  
  PMH total score and Emotional Support (ES) and Global Affect (GA) sub-scale scores were significantly higher among women vs men (PMH = 4.41 vs 4.07, p value = 0.01 and domains ES = 4.56 vs 3.84, p value < 0.01 and GA = 4.44 vs 4.02, p value = 0.01), given that the men and women samples did not differ significantly in their socio-demographic and clinical profiles. After adjusting for all covariates, men with no formal/ primary education were significantly associated with lower PMH total score than those with higher (secondary, A level, pre-university) education. Men belonging to Malay ethnic group had significant higher PMH total score compared to men of Chinese ethnicity. Among the women samples, those with depression as measured by PHQ-8 had significantly lower scores in the PMH total score and higher GAF score was associated with significantly higher scores in PMH total score.
  
  
  
  This study identified gender differences in PMH of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders whereby women had higher PMH total score and domain scores than men. The study also identified factors associated with PMH which can aid in designing gender appropriate mental health interventions.
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: anitha_jeyagurunathan@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Anitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jeyagurunathan
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: janhavi_vaingankar@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Janhavi Ajit
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Vaingankar
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: edimansyah_abdin@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Edimansyah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abdin
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: rajeswari_sambasivam@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Rajeswari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sambasivam
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: Esmond_LS_SEOW@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Esmond
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: Shirlene_PANG@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Shirlene
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: louisa_picco@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Picco
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: siow_ann_chong@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Siow Ann
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.affiliation: Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. Electronic address: mythily@imh.com.sg.
authors.forename: Mythily
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subramaniam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Men; Outpatients; Positive mental health; Schizophrenia; Women