Mental Health and Gender

intersectionality

developed through both scholarly endeavor's and activist engagement. How identity markers intersect to affect life experience. Means of analysis for how particular identities and conditions are located within structures of power. It is rooted in critical theory and feminism. Challenges the idea of gender as the primary dimension of inequity. Macro - policies, micro - individual power. ex - how sexism and racism combine to create a new form of discrimination

Intersectionality and Mental Health

focused on power dynamics. based on principles which promote equity and social justice. the locations of social disadvantage are not arbitrary (the result of discriminatory policies and systems). "synergies of oppression"- describe how multiple forms of discrimination and disadvantage interacting to create a compounded form that cannot be reduced to a single cause

Key concepts

sex - biological trait, gender - how societies determine and manage sex categories. sex and gender do not always align. Gender is a social identity that arise from relationships with other people and recognition 'how we understand ourselves in relation to gender' , gender is socially constructed

Gender Norms

socially acceptable ways of acting out gender. Are learned from birth throughout childhood socialization. Masculinity - set of processes that include gender relations between men and women and the effects of these practices in bodily experience, personality and culture. Femininity - historically, has been constructed through patriarchal ideas. As a result, woman as a group lack the same level of cultural power as a man. Behaviours that come to be understood as masculine and feminine vary across cultures and change over time

Gender

important in health in two dimensions - gender inequality leads to health risks and addressing gender norms and roles leads to better health outcomes. Gender differences, norms and roles all have an influence on how people access health services, and the response to care needs. Certain condition are more prevalent in one or other gender (gender health paradox - women report higher rates of depression disorders and living longer, and men having health issues and dying). Women living longer gap is closing. LGBTQ persons at risk of negative outcomes

Status

any recognized social position that exists independently of the person who occupies it, ex - student, sister. Statuses may be ascribed (imposed upon us ex - son, widow) and achieved (via our actions ex - doctor).

status set

all of your statues

master status

the most important status in a status set

role

consists of the behavioural expectations associated with given status. ex - students are expected to study, we occupy status and we enact a role

role conflict

incompatible role demands between statuses, ex - cop and mom pulls over son

role strain

incompatible demands within a single status, happens when you cannot meet the demands of a status. ex - caretaker, writer and cannot meet deadlines for writing etc

history of womens mental health

evidence dates back to 1900BC whereas the uterus caused all issues. Persisted until 16th century - which led to harmful stereotypes. the term 'hysteria' was used to describe mental disorder for women. In 15th -18th century, mental illness was witchcraft. Hysteria lost popularity in the early 20th century but remained in DSM until 3. Gendered stereotypes have done damage throughout history.

present day of womens mental health

pervious attitudes persist today. woman face additional risk factors - be the main caregiver, over-represented in low income jobs, and more likely to experience physical or sexual abuse. rates of depressive and anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, ptsd, dissociated disorders, eating disorders and alzheimers

biological factors of womens mental health

due to sociocultural and biological factors. states of depression may be influenced by hormonal changes, but there is no definitive causation. Psychological distress can have an effect on menstrual problems rather than other way around. another source can be depression related to hormonal change in the period following pregnancy - postpartum depression. menopause can be stressful

Gender role socialization

gender based differences in behaviour appear to be the result of socialization into the society prescribed roles for men and women. may lead to increased depression and anxiety. during socialization - roles require the development to maintain interpersonal ties with men. girls have greater stress than males. before 5 - MD is low for both genders, age 5-9 - boys have higher rates, by 15-19 - girls have higher rates of MD.

Gove and Tudor article of gender roles

women who are restricted to a single occupation and social role, their social gratification are limited. being a homemaker can be frustrating, and is unstructured and invisible. when a woman is employed outside of the home, she is in a less satisfactory position than a married male. Being a homemaker is isolating

gender roles and work - present day

womens have expanded their work roles into occupations and professions that were once largely male. The social roles of men and women used to be more rigid and predictable - not necessarily the case anymore. regardless, of womens income, the housework remains womens work. women can be in double bind of - roles of family and sacrifice if they pursue career

marital status

married people have better mental health than unmarried people because of greater social and emotional support, and better able to cope with psychological trauma and stress. women are more likely to show signs of distress then men - quality of the relationship is important, the link between spouses and depression flows from the wife. though it is not as important contributor than social class

Trauma

women and children are the majority of individuals of violent conflicts. women are twice as likely to develop ptsd, and exposed to higher level of sexual violence. this greater exposure may explain the higher rates of mental illness. women who reported sex discrimination were 3x more likely to develop clinical depression and poorer mental health

gaslighting in healthcare

doctors downplay health concerns. Health care providers may have implicit biases that affect the way women are heard, understood and treated. women are prescribed less pain medication and less to be admitted to hospital.

understanding mental health over a womans lifetime

early child hood - ADHD. adolescent - depression, anxiety, ED, reproductive based mental heath issues. older - dementia

womens barriers to seeking help

economic factors - harder time getting it off work to access treatment. childcare - may not find services. health care - more likely to experience stigma then men specifically for addiction

mens mental health background

Rates of personality disorders, substance use and addictive disorders, autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, are higher for men. Men tend to externalize distress through greater substance use, addiction, and personality disorders. Men are more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies to change the problem and to be hospitalized

gender role socialization

The gender role for men can offer an advantage in self-direction and professional opportunities yet may lend itself to increased susceptibility to personality disorders. Tendency for men to externalize their problems with aggression and antisocial behaviour. Boys are encouraged to earn their masculine identity

stress coping behaviours for men

aligned with gender norms. males suppress

emotions indicative of weakness and a lack of manliness, such as helplessness, worry, and fear which are signs of anxiety and depression. The socialization process teaches boys from early age to be self reliant and solve problems on their own which create men who are less willing to seek mental health treatment

gender role strain paradigm (GRS)

Gender role norms are inconsistent and contradictory, A high proportion of these roles are violated frequently, Social condemnation and stressful psychological consequences commonly follow role

violations. Many characteristics and behaviours prescribed by gender role norms are psychologically dysfunctional

implication of GRS

Predicts that even when men do not develop formal psychiatric disorders, gender role strain interferes with their optimal growth and

self-actualization. Predicts that men are subject to a wide range of emotional, psychological, and behavioral dysfunctions

Gender Identity Paradigm (GIP)

two essential, distinct, and oppositional identities of masculine and feminine, psychological health depends on the incorporation of sufficient characteristics of the ”proper” sex role. rooted in essentialism

the dark side of masculinity

1. violence 2. rape/SA 3. Sexual misconduct / sexual excuses. 4. alcohol and drug abuse 5. depression and suicide 5. risk taking, abuse, and neglect of personal needs 6. fathering problems

violence

most celebrated and most censured features of masculinity. damages emotional health and well being of women and men although most violent men will be more likely to be seen in institution. men are more likely to be violated against by other men

sexual misconduct / sexual excesses

Men are raised in a culture that teaches them to be sexually preoccupied, assigns sexual “gatekeeping” to women, endorses rape mythology, and provides mixed messages about how far a man

should go to acquire sex. Men must overcome a number of powerful messages that encourage them to adopt dysfunctional sexual attitudes and behaviors

alcoholism and drug abuse

Alcoholism and drug abuse can easily be recognized as major mental health problems that are intricately connected to masculinity.

Risk taking

Research consistently indicates that for most health problems,

men are less likely than women to perceive themselves as being at

risk, even for risks that men are more likely to experience

fathering problems

transformation from parenthood to motherhood occurred because of work being separated from family. Dramatic negative consequences in terms of men’s relationships with their children and has increasingly been

recognized as a significant impediment to men’s optimal mental health.

toxic masculinity

emerged in 1980, which focused on specific form of masculinity and a specific set of social expectations that are unhealthy or dangerous. llustrates how stereotypical masculine norms shape men’s health, as well as

their treatment of other people. Puts importance on - strength, lack of emotion, self sufficiency, dominance, sexual virility. which leads to harmful behaviour of aggression, needing to dominate, isolation, low empathy. the term prompts defensiveness among men,

risk facors that influence the effects of toxic masculinity

exposure to violence at home, in relationships, media and in the community. poor family functioning. lack of services to address the exposure to trauma and stress, social rejection. social norms condoning male dominance.

three broad trends lead to incel movement

1. dating apps 2. relationship standards 3. skill deficits

Incel movement

Incels (involuntary celibates) are a sub-culture community of men who build their identity around their perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. incels had a greater tendency for interpersonal victimhood, higher levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness, and lower levels of life satisfaction. Online misogyny can lead to domestic violence. and call for a Sexual Marxism - system in which every person is somehow matched with a partner of a

similar level of wealth and attractivenes. centers on the idea that women are

shallow, vicious, and only attracted to hyper-muscular men

help seeking behaviours for men

men are more reluctant to seek help. ties back to traditional idea of what masculinity means. having mental issue is often seen that cannot live with the idea of the traditional man. seeking help is associated with marginalized for men.

gendered health promotion

emphasis to focus on health on women as they are usually less privileges and less resources. health polices of the needs of men are minimal. Globally men have a higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy. the tendency to underplay the gender dimension of health of specific women has led to failure to address the evidence of gendered determinate that affect and drive the burden of ill health in men

APA guidelines for psychological practices of boys and men

1. masculinity are constructed based on social, cultural, and contextual norms 2. recognize that boys and men integrate multiple aspects to their social identities across the lifespan. 3. understand privilege, power, sexism on the development of boys and men