Examination of Gender Differences in the Influence of Social Support on Psychological Distress in Canadian Adults with Bipolar Disorder

The objectives of this study were to determine whether gender differences exist in how social support, and different types of support, impact psychological distress among Canadian adults with bipolar I and bipolar II disorder (BD), to examine whether females and males with BD differ in their perceived levels of support and distress compared to females and males without BD, and to investigate whether females and males with BD perceive different levels of support and distress. Using a cross-sectional, national datafile, 281 females and 282 males (20–64 years) who reported being diagnosed with BD were investigated using the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). It was found that females and males with BD had significantly lower SPS scores and significantly higher K10 scores than females and males without BD, females with BD perceive significantly higher overall support, as well as higher attachment and guidance compared to males with BD, and support in the form of social integration and was associated with decreased psychological distress for both males and females with BD. Furthermore, reassurance of worth was an additional predictor of decreased distress for males, while guidance was an additional predictor of decreased distress for females. Despite the limitations, which include self-reported diagnosis of BD and potential exclusion of those who are not diagnosed but have BD, these findings suggest that different types of social support may serve as protective factors for psychological distress among females and males with BD.