Cultural and gender differences in responses to depressive mood: a study of college students in Ghana and the U.S.A.

The present study examined the role of culture as a potential moderator of gender differences in response to depressive mood in 315 college students from two separate nationalities (203 from Ghana and 112 from the U.S.A.). Participants from both cultural groups completed the Response Styles Questionnaire (RSQ; Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1991) which assesses individual differences in coping with depressed mood. Results from conducting a series of analyses of variances indicated a significant gender (male vs female) × culture (Ghanaian vs American) interaction for one of the four sub-scales of the RSQ. Specifically, culture was found to moderate the effects of gender on scores for Dangerous Activity response style. Also a significant cultural as well as gender effect was found for Rumination. The present findings support the importance of cultural sensitivity in research and psychotherapy.