An observational study in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Gender Differences and Resilience, Psychological, sponsored by Eskisehir Osmangazi University. Recruiting at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-03-25.
Sponsored by Eskisehir Osmangazi University · Observational
Depression is a common and serious mental health condition that affects mood, thoughts, behavior, and overall quality of life. It arises from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. While depression is more frequently diagnosed in women, research suggests that men may experience and express depressive symptoms differently. Men are more likely to display symptoms such as irritability, anger, impulsivity, or increased alcohol use, and they may be less likely to seek professional psychological support due to social expectations and fear of stigma.
Stigma-both self-stigma (internalized negative beliefs about having a mental illness) and perceived social stigma (concerns about being judged by others)-can negatively influence individuals' willingness to seek help and adhere to treatment. In addition, psychological resilience, defined as the ability to cope effectively with stress and adversity, may play an important role in how individuals experience depressive symptoms and respond to treatment.
This study aims to compare women and men diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder in terms of depression severity, gender-sensitive depressive symptoms, self-stigma, perceived social stigma, and levels of psychological resilience. It will also examine the relationships among these factors to better understand how gender-related differences influence the experience and management of depression.
Findings from this study may contribute to improved recognition of gender-specific features of depression, reduction of stigma, and the development of more individualized and effective mental health interventions for both women and men.
3,041 studies on the registry are indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major; 588 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 90 is below the median of 131 across 400 observational studies indexed under Depressive Disorder, Major.
Browse Depressive Disorder, Major studies →Eskisehir Osmangazi University is the lead sponsor of 153 studies on the registry; 27 are open to participants now.
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Patients who presented to the Department of Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic at Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Female patients aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and presented to the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine
Male patients aged 18-65 years who were diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and presented to the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine
Depression Severity
Depression severity will be assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The Beck Depression Inventory is a 4-point Likert-type scale consisting of 21 items. Each item is rated on a scale of 0 to 3, and the total possible score ranges from 0 to 63. Higher scores indicate a greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment)
Gender Differences in Gender-Sensitive Depressive Symptoms
Gender-sensitive depressive symptom severity will be assessed using the Gender-Sensitive Depression Scale, a 24-item, four-point Likert-type instrument. Each item is rated on a four-point scale with response options ranging from 0 to 3: "Never or rarely," "Sometimes," "Often," and "Always." The scale comprises the subdimensions of Dysphoria-Irritability, Impulsivity-Shame, and Alcohol Use. Higher scores indicate greater severity of depressive symptoms.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment)
Self-Stigma in Depression
Self-stigma will be assessed using the Self-Stigma of Depression Scale, a 15-item, five-point Likert-type instrument that measures individuals' self-stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors. One of the 16 items in the original scale was removed during the Turkish validity and reliability study to improve cultural and psychometric appropriateness; therefore, the 15-item version will be used. Each item is rated on a five-point scale ranging from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree," with response options scored from 1 to 5. The total score ranges from 15 to 75, with higher scores indicating greater levels of self-stigma.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment)
Perceived Social Stigma Related to Seeking Psychological Help
Perceived social stigma will be assessed using the Stigma Scale for Receiving Professional Psychological Help. The scale consists of five items. Each item is rated on a four-point scale ranging from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree." The total score ranges from 1 to 20. Higher scores indicate a higher level of perceived social stigma associated with seeking psychological help.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment)
Psychological Resilience
Psychological resilience will be assessed using the Resilience Scale for Adults, a 32-item, five-point Likert-type instrument. Each item is rated on a five-point scale ranging from "Strongly disagree" to "Strongly agree," with response options scored from 1 to 5. The total score ranges from 32 to 160. The scale does not have a cutoff score, and interpretation of the total score is left to the discretion of the researcher. When higher scores are intended to indicate greater psychological resilience, responses are scored from left to right as 1-2-3-4-5. The scale also includes reverse-scored items.
Time frame: Baseline (single assessment)
Plan to share: Yes — De-identified individual participant data collected in the study will be shared. This will include demographic variables (e.g., age, gender, education level, marital status), clinical variables related to Major Depressive Disorder, and scale scores obtained from the study instruments. Specifically, the dataset will contain participants' scores on depression severity measures, gender-sensitive depression symptom scales, psychological resilience scales, and stigma measures used in the study. All shared data will be anonymized and will not include any information that could directly identify individual participants.
Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Clinical study report
Time frame: The de-identified individual participant data and supporting materials will be made available beginning 6 months after publication of the study results. The data will remain available for a period of 5 years following publication.
Access criteria: Describe who will be able to access the IPD and supporting information, what they will be able to access, and how they will be able to access it.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Started Jun 2025 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Apr 2026, 10 months after the start.
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