Equal Prevalence of Depression in Men and Women with Parkinson’s Disease Revealed by Online Assessment

Abstract Objective Identifying persons needing mental health services is hampered by stigma-related underreporting of symptoms, especially by men. Men with Parkinson’s disease (PD) consistently report lower rates of depression than women in in-person studies. We predicted that online anonymity would elicit more gender-based parity in depression endorsement. Method We administered the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) online to 344 participants with PD (52% women). Depression was defined as BDI-II score >13 and/or use of antidepressant medications. Results Overall depression prevalence was consistent with in-person studies, but with no significant difference between men and women. Conclusions Online methods may circumvent barriers to depression identification in men with PD.