Gender differences in the relationships between mental health symptoms, impairment, and treatment-related behaviors among college students

This study examined gender differences in factors associated with mental health treatment-related behaviors to gather information on why some individuals are more likely to seek treatment than others. Responses from college students who participated in an online survey indicated that males and females respond differently to self-reported mental health symptom measures. Females indicated greater ranges of symptoms that were not necessarily indicative of a clinically meaningful mental health problem. Clinicians using patient-reported symptom measures should consider gender differences in responses to avoid over or under diagnosing disorders, and use additional diagnostic and evaluative criteria in conjunction with patient-reported symptom measures.