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. 2020 Dec 6;17(23):9113.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17239113.

Gender Differences in Psychological Symptoms and Psychotherapeutic Processes in Japanese Children

Toshio Kawai  1 , Yuka Suzuki  1 , Chihiro Hatanaka  2 , Hisae Konakawa  1 , Yasuhiro Tanaka  3 , Aya Uchida  4
Affiliations

Gender Differences in Psychological Symptoms and Psychotherapeutic Processes in Japanese Children

Toshio Kawai et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Gender differences have been documented in the prevalence of psychological symptoms. Tic disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more common in male clinical samples, while selective mutism and trichotillomania are more common in female clinical samples. In a review of 84 published case studies of Japanese children, this study explored gender differences in the prevalence of four categories of symptoms and expressions made in therapy for tics, selective mutism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and trichotillomania. Case studies were evaluated using both qualitative coding and statistical analysis. The findings were mostly consistent with epidemiological surveys and empirical research on adults. The gender differences in symptom prevalence and their expression could be summarized as differences in more direct aggression for boys versus indirect aggression for girls. The objective and progress in the therapy were to control impulsive energy for boys and to express energy for girls.

Keywords: aggression; autism spectrum disorder; gender differences; selective mutism; tic disorder; trichotillomania.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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