Gender-Role Conflict and Male Help-Seeking for Depression

By Alyssa Cameron, Pyschology Major, 2023

Murphy, S. (2019). Symptoms of Depression [Image]. The WHS Howl.

Depression is a common mental illness that can be briefly described as frequent episodes of hopelessness, low self-esteem, depressed mood, and loss of interest or pleasure.1 Fortunately, depression is treatable. A wide variety of effective evidence-based treatment options are available for individuals suffering from depression, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and antidepressant medications. Treatment for depression is crucial given that when left untreated, it can lead to relationship issues, decreased work performance, chronic pain, and even suicide.1 Therefore, it is essential to dissolve any barriers getting in the way of depressed individuals getting the help they need. There are many roadblocks that may prevent individuals from getting effective treatment in the United States, especially for ethnic minorities and people living in poverty.1 However, some of these barriers are not as obvious as others.

Given the patriarchal structure of the United States, one may find it surprising that men in particular face a unique barrier to getting effective treatment for depression. Researchers have suggested that many men do not get the treatment for depression that they need as a result of the gender-role conflict. This conflict occurs when an individual thinks or behaves in a way that is incongruent with gender norms, resulting in increased levels of stress and negative feelings towards oneself. It has been theorized that gender-role conflict prohibits men from seeking help for depression because it is incongruent with male norms, such as self-reliance and emotional restriction.2 Engaging in help-seeking behaviors for depression may lead men to feel negatively towards themselves or worry about judgment from others. Recent studies have provided additional evidence that this theory is valid. Cole & Ingram’s 2019 study on the relationship between gender-role conflict and men seeking help for depression begins the important work of recognizing the negative impacts of genderrole socialization and its effects on mental health.2

To test this theory, researchers had undergraduate male participants complete a gender-role conflict survey in which they scaled the degree to which they agreed or disagreed with various statements in order to measure the stress they experience related to conflict with masculine gender role socialization. Participants were then asked to read a vignette about a man experiencing depressive symptoms and imagine that they were experiencing those symptoms. Finally, participants completed a survey regarding their potential responses to experiencing those depressive symptoms by scaling the degree to which they were likely or unlikely to engage in various responses. Potential responses ranged from informal help-seeking, such as opening up to family or friends; professional help-seeking, such as meeting with a psychologist or psychiatrist; avoidant behaviors, such as drinking or partying; and self-help behaviors, such as journaling or meditating. The study found that increased gender-role conflict is associated with fewer self-help behaviors, informal help-seeking, professional help-seeking, and more avoidant behaviors.2 These results suggest that gender-role conflict plays a role in preventing men from seeking help from others or even helping themselves. Instead, they are more likely to avoid confronting their depressive symptoms and not seek support.

Although this study provides valuable information, it is not without flaws. The study looked at selfreported explicit measures. Scaling the degree to which you would potentially engage in a behavior is very different from actually engaging in said behavior. This is of particular concern in this study because there many additional factors in the real world that can influence whether or not an individual seeks help for depression, such as financial means, work/ school schedule, and ease/abundance of access to support. Another issue to consider is the participants in the sample. All participants were undergraduate male college students from a U.S. Midwestern University.2 Studying participants from a wide range of geographic locations is particularly important when looking at gender-role conflict because the degree to which male gender norms are enforced differs greatly among different areas of the United States. Finally, there was no random assignment or manipulation, so we cannot claim that increased gender-role conflict causes decreased help-seeking for depression in men.

Research also shows that Boston neighborhoods also Despite these critiques, this study still serves as a stepping stone towards developing a stronger understanding of how gender-role conflict impacts men’s mental health. Similarly, this study proves as an important reminder that gender-role socialization can have negative impacts on an individual’s health. Future directions may include studying how to decrease gender-role conflict when it comes to male help-seeking for depressive symptoms or studying the other ways in which gender-role conflict may negatively impact an individual’s health.

[1] American Psychological Association. (2016, October 1). Overcoming depression: How psychologists help with depressive disorders. https://www.apa.org/ topics/overcoming-depression.

[2] Cole, B. & Ingram, P. (2019). Where do I turn for help? Gender role conflict, self-stigma, and college men’s help-seeking for depression. Psychology of Men and Masculinities, 21(3), 441-452. https://doi-org.ezproxy. simmons.edu/10.1037/men0000245.supp.