Gender differences in the annual income of psychiatrists

OBJECTIVE: Female physicians have traditionally earned less than their male counterparts, even after adjustment for specialty, workload, and physician characteristics. In the 1980s female psychiatrists earned incomes that were 13% lower than those of their male counterparts; however, important explanatory variables for such differences were not incorporated into that analysis. This study examined whether a gender income gap among psychiatrists persisted in the 1990s. METHODS: Survey responses were used that were obtained between 1992 and 2001 from 976 actively practicing white psychiatrists (weighted N=941). Because of low numbers of black respondents to the surveys, we were unable to examine the influence of race on psychiatrists' incomes. Linear regression modeling was performed to determine the association between gender and annual incomes after controlling for workload, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics. RESULTS: Among white psychiatrists, women reported working 13% fewer annual hours than their male counterparts, and women had practiced medicine for fewer years than men. Also, women were more likely to be employees of the practice, as opposed to having an ownership interest in the practice, and were more likely to be board certified, although these findings were not significant. After adjustment for workload, provider characteristics, and practice characteristics, the mean annual income for women was $140,615, or $31,962 (19%) lower than that of men (95% confidence interval of $41,834-$22,090 lower, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: During the 1990s female gender was associated with lower annual incomes among white psychiatrists; compared with previous reports from earlier periods the income disparity appears to be widening. These findings warrant further exploration.     

Characteristics of female psychiatrists

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed within-gender differences between psychiatrists and other physicians by using data taken from a large national sample of U.S. female physicians. METHOD: The authors used data from the Women Physicians' Health Study, a large, national questionnaire-based survey conducted in 1993-1994, to compare characteristics of female psychiatrists (N=570) with those of other female physicians (N=3,875). RESULTS: Psychiatrists were older, in poorer health, less likely to be married, more likely to be current or ex-smokers, and more likely to be politically liberal than were the other female physicians. Psychiatrists were somewhat (although not necessarily significantly) more likely than the other female physicians to report having had personal or family histories of various psychiatric disorders. Psychiatrists were more likely to have a solo practice and less likely to be in a group practice. They worked fewer hours than the other female physicians but reported comparable hourly incomes. Psychiatrists did not differ from the other female physicians in perceived work amount, work stress, work control, or career satisfaction. Their satisfaction with their specialty was, however, greater than that of the other female physicians. For nearly all of the 14 preventive health care counseling practices examined, the amount of preventive counseling psychiatrists reported performing, the clinical relevance they ascribed to those practices, their self-confidence in performing the practices, and the amount of training they reported receiving in preventive counseling practices was significantly lower than that of primary care practitioners and lower than or comparable to that of other specialists. CONCLUSIONS: Female psychiatrists significantly differ from other female physicians with regard to a number of personal and professional dimensions.     

The dangerousness of psychiatrists

Since psychosis occasionally leads to behaviour requiring constraint, psychiatrists are involved in decisions which may lead to loss of liberty. In some places and at some times psychiatrists and their predecessors have made those decisions unrestrained. This essay considers how we have used that power in the past, indicates some of the abuses extant now, recognises that there is no satisfying solution to the problems which exist and argues for the consistency of the legal system with all its limitations rather than the uncertain and unrestrained judgment of individual psychiatrists.     

Impact of social capital on depression trajectories of older women in Korea

Objectives: This study examines the impact of social capital on depressive symptoms trajectories among Korean women aged 65 years or older. It also examines the difference in depressive symptoms and social capital by economic status (poverty group, non-poverty group) among community-dwelling older women in Korea.

Method: This study used 2435 older women of the Korean Welfare Panel Study from 2006 (wave 1) to 2013 (wave 8) data using latent growth modeling. Social capital variables were cognitive (interpersonal trust, reciprocity) and structural (the size of family, the number of friends or neighbors, participation in leisure and volunteer activities).

Results: The results showed both intra- and inter-individual variability in depressive symptoms over time. Interpersonal trust and reciprocity as cognitive social capital had an effect on the change of depressive symptoms in intercept and slope. The size of family, participation in leisure activities among structural social capital were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in intercept and slope.

Conclusion: The results of this study suggest some practical implications for depression intervention and prevention and further research on late-life depression.