The relationship between gender and depression, self-esteem, hopelessness, submissive acts, guilt, shame and anger in adolescents
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Date
2009
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Abstract
Literature Review and Objective: Although there were a number of research findings on gender differences in mental health problems, it is not known that it is a universal phenomenon or not. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between gender and depression, self-esteem, hopelessness, submissive acts, guilt, shame and anger in Turkish adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1185 ninth-grade Turkish adolescents aged 14-19 was conducted. 708 (59.7 %) of the students were male and the mean age of students was 15.53±0.72. Hopelessness was measured by using Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), self-esteem was measured by using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), depression was measured by using Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), guilt and shame was measured by using Guilt and Shame Scale (GSS), submissive acts was measured by using Submissive Acts Scale (SAS), anger was measured by using The State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS). Student’s t-test was used to find out the relationship between gender and depression, self-esteem, hopelessness, submissive acts, guilt, shame and anger in adolescents. Results: The findings indicate that the mean score of the SAS and BHS, anger control subscale of STAS of the boys were higher than that of the girls and the mean score of the CDI, guilt subscale of GSS, shame subscale of GSS, SES, trait anger subscale of STAS, anger-in subscale of STAS and anger-out subscale of STAS of the girls were higher than that of the boys. While there were statistically significant associations between gender and the SAS, BHS, CDI, guilt subscale of GSS, shame subscale of GSS, trait anger subscale of STAS, anger-out subscale of STAS and anger control subscale of STAS mean scores; no relationship was found between gender and the anger-in subscale of STAS and SES mean scores. Conclusion: The results of this study point out that there are gender differences in hopelessness, depression, guilt, shame, submissive acts and anger levels but not in selfesteem levels in Turkish adolescents. The findings suggest that psychological gender differences are seen not only in individualistic societies, but also in collectivistic societies. © 2009 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.