Background Strict adherence to masculine norms has been associated with deleterious consequences for the physical and mental health of men. However, population-based research is lacking, and it remains unclear whether ageing influences adherence to masculine norms and the extent to which mental health problems like depression are implicated. Methods This study reports on data from 14,516 males aged 15–55 years who participated in Wave 1 of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Male Health (Ten to Men). Group differences in self-reported conformity to masculine norms (CMNI-22), current depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and self-reported 12-month depression history were examined for males aged 15–17 years, 18–25 years, 26–35 years, 36–50 years, and 51–55 years. Generalised linear models were used to examine the relationships between these variables across age groups. Results Conformity to masculine norms decreased significantly with age. However, models predicting depression generally showed that higher conformity to masculine norms was associated with an increased risk of current depressive symptoms, especially in the oldest age group. Conversely, higher conformity was associated with a decreased likelihood of a self-reported 12-month depression history, although nuances were present between age groups, such that this trend was not evident in the oldest age group. Conclusions Findings provide important insights into the complex relationship between conformity to masculine norms and depressive symptoms across the lifespan and further highlight the importance of mental health campaigns that address the complexities of gendered help-seeking behaviour for men.
Abstract:The development of brief, reliable and valid self-report measures of cognitive abilities would facilitate research in areas including cognitive ageing. This is due to both practical and economic limitations of formal cognitive testing procedures. This study examined the reliability and validity of the newly developed Self-Report Measure of Cognitive Abilities (SRMCA; Jacobs & Roodenburg, 2014); a multi-item self-report tool designed to assess cognitive function in the ability areas of fluid reasoning (Gf), comprehension-knowledge (Gc) and visual processing (Gv). Participants were (n = 93) cognitively healthy older adults aged between 52 and 82 years who completed the SRMCA, the Big Five Inventory and a battery of cognitive tasks. Results revealed adequate reliability for the SRMCA and convergent validity for the Gc domain but not for Gf or Gv. Moreover, significant personality bias was evident with Extraversion (positively), Openness to Experience (positively) and Neuroticism (negatively) predicting SRMCA responses independently of actual cognitive performance. Thus, although the SRMCA appears to be reliable in older adults, personality was a stronger predictor of self-estimated cognitive abilities than actual cognitive performance, questioning the utility of this tool as a subjective measure of cognitive ability.
ObjectivesTo develop and validate a short form of the Male Depression Risk Scale (MDRS-22) for use in primary care, examining associations with prototypic depression symptoms, psychological distress and suicidality.DesignCross-sectional study with 8-month follow-up.SettingCommunity-based.ParticipantsA community sample of younger (n=510; 18–64 years) and older (n=439; 65–93 years) men residing in Australia (M age=58.09 years, SD=17.77) participated in the study. A subset of respondents (n=159 younger men; n=169 older men) provided follow-up data approximately eight months later.Primary and secondary outcome measuresQuantitative data were obtained through a survey comprising a range of validated measures, including the MDRS-22, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The MDRS-22 was refined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in line with best practice guidelines. Analysis of variance and generalised linear models were conducted to explore relationships between variables.ResultsThe short-form MDRS consisted of seven items (MDRS-7) and captured all of the domains in the original tool. Participants with mixed symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 10 and MDRS-7 > 5) had significantly higher risk of mental illness (K10 ≥ 25) and current suicidality (PHQ-9 item 9 ≥ 1) than those with exclusively prototypic symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 10 and MDRS-7 ≤ 5). Furthermore, the MDRS-7 was shown to be effective at predicting elevated symptoms of depression at follow-up, after controlling for previous depression diagnosis.ConclusionsFindings provide preliminary evidence of the potential utility of the MDRS-7 as a screening tool for externalised and male-type symptoms associated with major depression in men. Field trials of the MDRS-7 in primary care settings may facilitate identification of men at risk of suicide and psychological distress who do not meet cut-off scores for existing measures of major depression symptoms.
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