Original Research

Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Cross-Sectional Study at Lady Reading Hospital MTI Peshawar

Zafar Mehmood
Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
Salma Zeb
Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan
Aamir Ghafoor Khan
Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, Pakistan

✉ Correspondence: Salma Zeb Email: salmazeb044@gmail.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.70302/jpsim.v6i1.2505
Volume: 6, Issue 1 Pages: 22–25 Published: 10 Mar 2025
Received: 17 Oct 2024 Revised: 02 Jan 2025 Accepted: 22 Feb 2025 Published Online: 10 Mar 2025

Abstract

Objective

The aim of present study was to explore gender differences in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among patients at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar and to identify socio-economic and cultural factors contributing to these mental health conditions.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 patients (200 males, 200 females) aged 18-65 years, enrolled from both outpatient department (OPD) and inpatient department (IPD) cases at Lady Reading Hospital. The Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21) and a demographic questionnaire were used for data collection. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, and logistic regression analyses were employed.

Results

Female participants exhibited significantly higher rates of depression (65%), anxiety (70%), and stress (60%) compared to males (40%, 45%, and 35%, respectively). Key socio-economic predictors included low education levels, unemployment, domestic abuse, and financial insecurity, disproportionately impacting women. Males also faced stress and anxiety, albeit less frequently, influenced by poverty, inflation, and the need to support large families.

Conclusion

This study suggested significant gender differences in the prevalence of depression, stress, and sanxiety among patients at Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. The higher prevalence highlights the need for targeted mental health services to address the unique cultural, social and economic factors. By increasing job opportunities and socioeconomic independence, removing gender related educational disparities and provision of gender sensitive mental health services are important steps in reducing mental health burden in KPK.

Keywords
Depression Anxiety Stress Gender Differences Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

How to Cite This Article

Mehmood Z, Zeb S, Khan AG. Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Cross-Sectional Study at Lady Reading Hospital MTI Peshawar. J Pak Soc Intern Med. 2025;6(1):22–25. doi:10.70302/jpsim.v6i1.2505

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Conflict of Interest

All authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosed in accordance with ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Funding

No specific funding was received for this research.

Funder information follows the Crossref Funder Registry standard.

References

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Reference list indexed for Google Scholar and ResearchGate. DOI links resolve via doi.org.

CC BY CC BY 4.0 This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. May be shared and adapted with attribution. © 2025 Journal of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine.
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