Effect of major depression on the self-image of adolescent boys and girls

We investigated the specific impact of major depressive disorder (MDD) on t he self-image of adolescent boys and girls seeking outpatient treatment. We used the Offer Self-linage Questionnaire (OSIQ) to compare 68 adolescents with MDD and 39 adolescents with no diagnosis of psychiatric illness accord ing to the Structural Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R (SCID). Self-image a mong MDD patients was in general poorer than in the comparison group and wa s particularly expressed as dissatisfaction with life and an impaired maste ry of the environment. Logistic regression analysis showed S2 (Emotional To ne) to be an independent factor associated with MDD (OR 1.15). In girls S2 was also independently associated with MDD (OR 1.14). The effect of MDD on self-image was more negative in girls than in boys and the self-image patte rn differed between the sexes.