Explaining unexpected gender differences in hostility among persons seeking treatment for substance use disorders

Objective: Gender differences in depression and anxiety are found among pat ients seeking treatment for substance use disorders, but few data exist on differences in hostility. As part of a larger study describing substance ab use treatment seekers, analyses investigated whether women would be more de pressed and anxious than men, but less hostile. Method: Data were collected at baseline from 336 outpatients (62% men) at an addiction treatment agenc y. Most of the outpatients (81%) had DSM-IV chart diagnoses of alcohol depe ndence or abuse. Results: On the depression, anxiety and hostility subscale s of the Brief Symptom Inventory, women had significantly higher scores tha n did men. When scores were converted to gender-keyed T scores standardized on a normal sample, differences in depression and anxiety were no longer s ignificant. However, differences in hostility remained. A regression analys is indicated that hostility scores were explained not by gender, but by gre ater severity of adverse consequences from substance use, insomnia, lack of social support, and being married. A childhood history of physical or sexu al abuse, although more common in women than men, did not explain gender di fferences in hostility after controlling for other variables. Conclusions: The women in this study did not appear to be more anxious and depressed tha n did the men after controlling for gendered population norms. However, the women were more hostile than the men. Women's greater hostility was explai ned not by gender per se, but by personal and social factors that were diff erentially distributed across genders. Treatment implications are reviewed.