Masculine discrepancy stress and psychosocial maladjustment: Implications for behavioral and mental health of adolescent boys.

Abstract

Gender role discrepancy (GRD), or nonconformity to socially prescribed gender roles, has been linked to a multitude of adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Masculine discrepancy stress (MDS), stress about being perceived not to conform to one's gender role, may explain the relationship between GRD and deleterious health outcomes. However, research on MDS has primarily been restricted to adult males. This leaves a critical gap pertaining to the potential effect of MDS on adolescent boys, who may be more malleable and susceptible to the influence and pressures of gender socialization. In the current study, data are drawn from a sample of adolescent male students (N = 592) who completed self-report questionnaires. We employed structural equation modeling to test the effects of GRD and MDS on psychosocial maladjustment measured via sexual behavior, substance use, violence, mood disorder symptoms, and hopelessness. In addition, we controlled for critical risk factors including sociodemographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences, trauma symptoms, and neighborhood disorganization. Findings indicate significant potentiating effects of MDS on maladjustment while there were direct protective effects of GRD. These data suggest that developing prevention strategies that incorporate social norms pertaining to gender socialization may have an impact on multiple behavioral and mental health problems.

Gender Role Discrepancy, Discrepancy Stress, and Family Resilience of Minangkabau Family

“…While gender role discrepancy predicted family resilience, on the other hand, discrepancy stress did not predict the family resilience of Minangkabau families. This result was inconsistent with previous studies that reported the negative consequences of discrepancy stress on individual and family such as partner violence, emotion regulation difficulties, and mental health problems (Berke, Reidy, Gentile, & Zeichner, 2016;Reidy, Berke, Gentile, & Zeichner, 2014;Reidy, Smith-Darden, Vivolo-Kantor, Malone, & Kernsmith, 2018;Yang, Lau, Wang, Ma, & Lau. 2018).…”

“…The significant contribution of gender role discrepancy is consistent with several previous studies that found gender role discrepancy had negative impacts on the individual and the family (Reidy, Berke, Gentile, & Zeichner, 2014;Reidy, Brookmeyer, Gentile, Berke, & Zeichner, 2016;Reidy, Smith-Darden, Vivolo-Kantor, Malone, & Kernsmith, 2018). The correlation between gender role discrepancy and family resilience was positive, meaning that the increasing score of gender role discrepancy (low gender role discrepancy) was followed by the increasing score of family resilience.…”

“…These cultural standards expect men to hide vulnerable emotions and become tough and rough, therefore the inability to meet these standards results in negative selfappraisal and judgment from others (Pleck, 1995). Previous studies showed that gender role discrepancy and discrepancy stress were associated with partner violence and mental health problems (Reidy, Berke, Gentile, & Zeichner, 2014;Reidy, Brookmeyer, Gentile, Berke, & Zeichner, 2016;Reidy, Smith-Darden, Vivolo-Kantor, Malone, Kernsmith, 2018). Men who perceive themselves to be less masculine will consider an ambiguous interaction as a threat to their masculinity.…”

Potential roles of masculine role discrepancy, discrepancy stress, and self-esteem in affecting addictive use of social networking sites among Chinese men: A random population-based study

“…While some previous studies showed that masculine role discrepancy was associated with discrepancy stress ( Reidy et al., 2014 , 2017 ), it has also been pointed out that the relationship may not always exist ( Reidy et al., 2016 ). Discrepancy stress may not occur to some men with masculine role discrepancy, if they possess positive self-concept and accept their gender role non-conformity.…”

“…When men perceive stressful feelings due to masculine role discrepancy, the condition is described as discrepancy stress ( Reidy et al., 2016 ). Previous studies reported significant associations between masculine role discrepancy and discrepancy stress ( Reidy et al., 2014 , Reidy, Smith-Darden, Vivolo-Kantor, Malone, & Kernsmith, 2017 ), but some authors speculated without testing empirically that perceived masculine role discrepancy does not always cause discrepancy stress ( Reidy et al., 2016 ).…”