Background Psychological distress refers to non-specific symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression, and it is more common in women. Our aim was to investigate factors contributing to psychological distress in the working population, with a special reference to gender differences. Methods We used questionnaire data from the nationally representative Finnish Regional Health and Well-being Study (ATH) collected in the years 2012–2016 (target population participants aged 20 +, n = 96,668, response rate 53%), restricting the current analysis to those persons who were working full-time and under 65 of age (n = 34,468). Psychological distress was assessed using the Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5) (cut-off value <=52). We studied the following factors potentially associated with psychological distress: sociodemographic factors, living alone, having children under18 years of age, lifestyle-related factors, social support, helping others outside of the home and work-related factors. We used logistic regression analysis to examine association between having work-family conflict with the likelihood for psychological distress. We first performed the models separately for men and women. Then interaction by gender was tested in the combined data for those independent variables where gender differences appeared probable in the analyses conducted separately for men and women. Results Women reported more psychological distress than men (11.0% vs. 8.8%, respectively, p < 0.0001). Loneliness, job dissatisfaction and family-work conflict were associated with the largest risk of psychological distress. Having children, active participation, being able to successfully combine work and family roles, and social support were found to be protective factors. A significant interaction with gender was found in only two variables: ignoring family due to being absorbed in one’s work was associated with distress in women (OR 1.30 (95% CI 1.00–1.70), and mental strain of work in men (OR 2.71 (95% CI 1.66–4.41). Conclusions Satisfying work, family life and being able to successfully combine the two are important sources of psychological well-being for both genders in the working population.

There are marked sex differences and several diagnosis-related patterns in the associations between reported childhood experiences and environmental circumstances and adulthood mental disorders. The impact of adversities is probably composed of a wide range of factors from direct causal associations to complex, interacting environmental effects. Variations in the reported associations reflect the differing genetic and environmental transmission mechanisms of mental disorders.

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This study examined the psychometric properties of the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) in adolescents. Internal consistency, factor structure, and discriminant and concurrent validity of the DSQ-40 were studied in 211 adolescent psychiatric outpatients aged 13 to 19 years and 199 age-matched and sex-matched controls. Principal components analysis yielded four internally consistent components: mature, neurotic, image-distorting, and immature defense styles. The outpatients reported more immature, image-distorting, and neurotic styles and less mature style than did the controls, suggesting adequate discriminant validity. As a demonstration of convergent and concurrent validity, the severity of psychiatric symptoms assessed by the General Health Questionnaire and psychosocial adjustment assessed by the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale correlated theoretically meaningfully with the different defense styles. The DSQ-40 appears to be a reliable and valid instrument for adolescents.

Our results for the cut-off scores for the early detection of alcohol problem use in adolescents are ≥5 for AUDIT, and ≥3 for AUDIT-C.

Factors associated with people suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) or anxiety disorders seeking or receiving treatment are not well known. In the Health 2000 Study, a representative sample (n=6005) of Finland's general adult (≥30 years) population was interviewed with the M‐CIDI for mental disorders and health service use for mental problems during the last 12 months. Predictors for service use among those with DSM‐IV MDD (n=298) or anxiety disorders (n=242) were assessed. Of subjects with MDD, anxiety disorders, or both, 34%, 36%, and 59% used health services, respectively. Greater severity and perceived disability, psychiatric comorbidity, and living alone predicted health care use for MDD subjects, and greater perceived disability, psychiatric comorbidity, younger age, and parent's psychiatric problems for anxiety disorder subjects. The use of specialist‐level mental health services was predicted by psychiatric comorbidity, but not characteristics of the disorders per se. Perceived disability and comorbidity are factors influencing the use of mental health services by both anxiety disorder and MDD subjects. However, still only approximately one‐half of those suffering from even severe and comorbid disorders use health services for them. Depression and Anxiety 0:1–11, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.