Gender differences in psychosocial risk factors for psychological distressamong immigrants

The reasons for a greater prevalence of psychological distress among women than men remain unknown. We sought to test two hypotheses that gender opera tes either as (1) a moderator or (2) a mediator between psychosocial risk f actors and experienced distress. A cross-sectional community survey of 1,06 2 adult Russian-born Jewish immigrants to Israel was conducted. The Demogra phic Psychosocial inventory (DPSI) and the Talbieh Brief Distress Inventory (TBDI) were used to measure the parameters of interest. Univariate and mul tivariate analyses were used to test the moderation versus mediational hypo theses of gender in the stress-distress relationship. The aggregate levels of psychological distress and depression, anxiety, and obsessive symptoms w ere significantly higher for women than for men. Five sources of distress w ere more likely to be reported by women: family problems, inappropriate cli matic conditions, anxiety about the future, poor health status, and uncerta inty in the present life situation. Men scored higher on three stress-prote ctive factors: the number of reasons for immigration, commitment to the hos t country, and job adequacy. Results of multiple regression and multivariat e analysis of variance (MANOVA) supported the mediation hypothesis that gen der differences in psychological distress stem from women's greater exposur e to specific psychosocial stressors. Our findings demonstrate the validity of gender as an important mediating mechanism underlying the differential perception of risk factors for the development of psychological distress. C opyright (C) 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.