Stress, health, and mental health symptoms of older women and men.

The objectives of this inquiry were to examine Langner mental health symptomatology screening scores in a community-dwelling sample of older adults, and to explore relations between Langner scores, health, and stress. Older adults (N = 364), who were participants in a study of sex roles, were interviewed in their homes concerning mental health symptoms, health, recent life stress, sex-role conflict, and demographic factors. Respondents reported relatively few symptoms. Symptoms were related to health and independent reports of nervousness and depression in both sexes, and to age in men, but not to stress and conflict in either sex. Mental health symptom screening devices may not mean the same thing for male and female older clients and should be used with caution until behavioral validation can be done.