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Table 1 Characteristics of the patient sample and the subclinical sample in Iran and Germany

From: Why is this happening to me? – a comparison of illness representations between Iranian and German people with mental illness

 

Subclinical sample

Patient sample

Iran

Germany

Statistical comparison

Iran

Germany

Statistical comparison

N

264

102

 

87

90

 

Age (M, SD years)

29.6 (12.0)

28.0 (9.2)

t(222.5) = 1.38

34.2 (10.2)

41.0 (13.1)

t(169.6) = 3.92***

Sex (% female)

62.2

79.4

χ2 (2) = 17.13***

69.2

60.4

χ2 (1) = 1.54

Educational level (%)

  

χ2 (5) = 29.36***

  

χ2 (5) = 58.72***

 Primary school

1.2

 

11.1

1.1

 

 Secondary school

1.2

 

6.7

26.7

 

 Diploma

28.8

52.9

 

23.3

54.4

 

 Associate degree

6.8

10.8

 

10.0

10.0

 

 Bachelor’s degree

34.0

11.8

 

35.6

2.2

 

 Master’s degree

28.0

24.5

 

13.3

5.6

 

Religiousness (%)

  

χ2 (2) = 55.32***

  

χ2 (2) = 35.4***

 Believer in religion

43.0

18.2

 

48.8

10.0

 

 Merely doing duties

40.8

27.3

 

39.3

53.3

 

 Without religious belief

16.2

54.5

 

11.9

36.7

 

Diagnosis (%)

      

 Mood

64.8

77.8

 

 Anxiety

35.2

6.1

 

  Mixed

16.1

 

Hospitalization (%)

31.7

53.5

χ2 (1) = 8.3**

Outpatient treatment (%)

72.1

67.4

χ2 (1) = 0.45

Mental stress (M, SD)

      

 PHQ9a

8.1 (5.3)

6.5 (4.0)

t(238.4) = 3.20**

14.0 (6.5)

7.6 (4.9)

t(167.2) = − 7.38***

 GAD7b

5.2 (4.4)

4.1 (2.0)

t(358.6) = 8.45***

10.6 (5.8)

3.5 (2.3)

t(115.6) = −

 PHQ15c

8.6 (4.7)

4.1 (2.0)

 

11.7 (5.1)

4.8 (3.3)

10.85***

 SOMS7d

5.5 (6.1)

1.9 (2.4)

t(372.1) = 13.20***t

10.5 (8.6)

5.3 (5.8)

t(154.7) = 10.80***

(372.4) = 8.19***

  

t(156.5) = 4.73***

  1. Note. N = Sample size, M = Mean, SD = Standard deviation, t = t value, χ2 = Chi-square value, a Depression score of the PHQ, b Anxiety score of the PHQ, c Score for somatoform symptoms of the PHQ, d Score for somatization symptom count of the SOMS7 * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001