AUA Alumnus Shant Torkom Yeretzian Publishes Master’s Thesis in Journal of Affective Disorders

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YEREVAN, Armenia — Shant Torkom Yeretzian (MPH ‘22), M.D., graduate of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program of the Turpanjian College of Health Sciences (CHS), American University of Armenia (AUA), has published one part of his MPH thesis project in the Journal of Affective Disorders, a peer-reviewed high impact academic journal published by Elsevier. Co-authors of the article were CHS faculty members Lusine Abrahamyan (MPH ‘03), M.D., Ph.D. and Yeva Sahakyan (MPH ‘11), M.D., M.Sc., and Nicole Kozloff, M.D., SM, FRCPC from the University of Toronto.

The study evaluated sex-differences in the prevalence and associated factors of mood disorders among the Canadian population. The study used data from the nationwide, population-based Canadian Community Health Survey 2017-2018, which represented over  31 million people, or 98% of Canada’s population.

The study was guided by Gender-Based Analysis Plus, an analytical framework that considers  various intersecting identity factors in the research. The findings indicate that females in Canada experience mood disorders at disproportionately higher rates than males. Several socioeconomic and identity factors were found to be associated with mood disorders, including: employment, income, food insecurity, race, sexual orientation, disability, and sense of community belonging. The authors demonstrate that age, household income, and employment status have differential effects on mood disorders in men and women, a finding which was not previously explored.

These findings may guide future strategies targeting the management of mood disorders. The full article “Evaluating sex differences in the prevalence and associated factors of mood disorders in Canada” can  be found on the journal website. 

The AUA Turpanjian College of Health Sciences works actively to improve population health and health services in Armenia and the region through interdisciplinary education and development of health professionals to be leaders in public health, nursing, health services research and evaluation, and health care delivery and management.