Masculine/Instrumental and Feminine/Expressive Traits and Health, Well-Being, and Psychological Distress in Spanish Men

Abstract

Many studies have explored the relationship between masculine norms and men’s health outcomes. There are few recent studies published on the relationship between masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive traits and men’s health and well-being. The current cross-sectional study examines whether masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive traits are associated to men’s health and well-being. Participants were 1,870 Spanish men, aged 21 to 64 years. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that the masculine/instrumental trait and the feminine/expressive trait were positively related to men’s psychological well-being and self-rated health, so that men whose self-concept includes both masculine/instrumental and feminine/expressive characteristics presented greater psychological well-being and better self-rated health. The feminine/expressive trait was associated with lower psychological distress yet only in case of men with low social support. Self-esteem and social support were important predictors of men’s health, in such a way that men who had high self-esteem and social support reported higher ratings of psychological well-being, better self-rated health, and less psychological distress. The implications of these findings for promoting men’s health and well-being are discussed.

Relevance of Gender and Social Support in Self-Rated Health and Life Satisfaction in Elderly Spanish People

“…The results provided converge and support the literature that states that openness to positive traits of the opposite gender role is an essential trait for successful ageing [66]. Moreover, the research conducted with the general population has found that people whose self-concept includes both instrumental and expressive characteristics report greater self-rated health and well-being [19,22,23,71]. These results could be important for the design of interventions with the elderly, which should include strategies for women to develop characteristics such as independence, self-confidence, individuality, and assertiveness; and for men to develop empathy, sensitivity to the needs of others, or warmth.…”

“…Although masculine norms vary by place and time [18], research on conformity to masculine norms has reported that individuals’ conformity to masculine norms is related with a range of negative psychological outcomes and reduced help seeking, although the results may vary depending on the specific dimension of the masculine norm [16]. The masculine/instrumental trait has been found to be more associated with the well-being of men and women than the feminine/expressive trait [19,20,21,22,23]; however, it has also been found that femininity is associated with optimal mental functioning [22,23,24]. It has been suggested that the strict adherence to masculine and feminine roles can limit the range of potential behaviours and choices of women and men [25], which would entail a limitation to the development of those personal characteristics which do not conform to what society considers appropriate to each gender.…”

The Importance of Work-Related Events and Changes in Psychological Distress and Life Satisfaction amongst Young Workers in Spain: A Gender Analysis

“…Self-esteem ended up being an important predictor of psychological distress for the male sample and the only predictor for the females. These results coincide with those of other studies [ 33 , 38 ] and confirm the importance of self-esteem on psychological well-being for both men and women. These results force us to consider the value of self-esteem and psychological well-being as health contributors, as highlighted by some authors in studies on psychological distress and the workplace [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

“…These results coincide with those of other studies [ 33 , 38 ] and confirm the importance of self-esteem on psychological well-being for both men and women. These results force us to consider the value of self-esteem and psychological well-being as health contributors, as highlighted by some authors in studies on psychological distress and the workplace [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. The results highlight the lack of importance of social support in predicting psychological distress, as it was only statistically significant in the male group, despite literature reporting social support as a protective factor of psychological distress.…”

“…Self-esteem and social support stand out amongst the psychosocial factors related to health and well-being [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Self-concept refers to describing and evaluating oneself, including one’s psychological and physical characteristics, qualities, skills, and roles.…”