Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study

Aviles Gonzalez, Cesar Ivan; Barrui, Vanessa; Migliaccio, Gian Mario; Curcio, Felice; Gioiello, Giovanni; Romero, Zoraima; Ivziku, Dhurata; Machado, Sergio; Sancassiani, Federica; Primavera, Diego

doi:10.3390/jcm14175984

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Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study

by

Cesar Ivan Aviles Gonzalez

^1,*

,

Vanessa Barrui

²,

Gian Mario Migliaccio

³

,

Felice Curcio

⁴

,

Giovanni Gioiello

¹

,

Zoraima Romero

⁵,

Dhurata Ivziku

⁶

,

Sergio Machado

⁷,

Federica Sancassiani

⁸

and

Diego Primavera

⁸

¹

Department of Medicine, University of Enna ‘Kore’, 94100 Enna, Italy

²

Azienda Sanitaria Locale Ogliastra—Sardinia, 08045 Lanusei, Italy

³

Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele Rome Open University, 00166 Rome, Italy

⁴

Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Sassari (UNISS), Viale San Pietro 43/B, 07100 Sassari, Italy

⁵

PhD Program in Tropical Medicine, Universidad Popular del Cesar, Valledupar 200001, Colombia

⁶

Department of Health Professions, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy

⁷

Institute of Psychiatry-IPUB, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22290-140, Brazil

⁸

Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato Blocco I (CA), 09042 Cagliari, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(17), 5984; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175984

Submission received: 14 July 2025 / Revised: 5 August 2025 / Accepted: 22 August 2025 / Published: 24 August 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Stress, Rhythms Dysregulation and Bipolar Spectrum)

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Abstract

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is more prevalent in women, but men with MDD may experience higher suicide risk and a different symptom profile. This study investigates the subjective impact of MDD on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in males and females. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on a representative sample from six Italian regions. MDD diagnoses were determined through semi-structured clinical interviews, and HR-QoL was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire. Mania, hypomania, and subthreshold hypomanic symptoms were evaluated using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ). Results: Women had a higher prevalence of MDD (6.2%) than men (3.5%). However, men with MDD showed significantly lower HR-QoL scores compared to non-depressed males, with a greater difference than that observed in women. No significant sex differences emerged in psychiatric comorbidities, but men showed a trend toward higher MDQ positivity, possibly indicating a different depressive phenotype. Conclusions: Although less frequently diagnosed in men, MDD appears to have a stronger perceived impact on quality of life in males. This finding may reflect under-recognized symptoms such as irritability, hyperactivity, and social rhythm dysregulation. Gender-sensitive screening and intervention strategies are essential to improve early detection and reduce the untreated burden of depression in men, ultimately supporting more equitable mental health outcomes.

Keywords: major depressive disorder; gender differences; health-related quality of life; SF-12; subjective burden; male depression; mental health; suicide risk; psychiatric comorbidity; help-seeking behaviour

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MDPI and ACS Style

Aviles Gonzalez, C.I.; Barrui, V.; Migliaccio, G.M.; Curcio, F.; Gioiello, G.; Romero, Z.; Ivziku, D.; Machado, S.; Sancassiani, F.; Primavera, D. Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study. J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14, 5984. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175984

AMA Style

Aviles Gonzalez CI, Barrui V, Migliaccio GM, Curcio F, Gioiello G, Romero Z, Ivziku D, Machado S, Sancassiani F, Primavera D. Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2025; 14(17):5984. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175984

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aviles Gonzalez, Cesar Ivan, Vanessa Barrui, Gian Mario Migliaccio, Felice Curcio, Giovanni Gioiello, Zoraima Romero, Dhurata Ivziku, Sergio Machado, Federica Sancassiani, and Diego Primavera. 2025. "Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study" Journal of Clinical Medicine 14, no. 17: 5984. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175984

APA Style

Aviles Gonzalez, C. I., Barrui, V., Migliaccio, G. M., Curcio, F., Gioiello, G., Romero, Z., Ivziku, D., Machado, S., Sancassiani, F., & Primavera, D. (2025). Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14(17), 5984. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14175984

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Gender Differences in the Perceived Impact of Major Depressive Disorder on Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Population Study

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