Misogynists more likely to be mentally ill: study

Multiple traits were taken into study and here are the results

A recent study published in the Journal of Counselling suggests that there may be a link between adopting traditional male gender norms and mental illness.



Researchers at the University of Indiana collected data from 78 different previously published studies about men, mental health and perceptions of masculinity. With information from 19,453 participants, Joel Y Wong and his team analysed the data with 11 dimensions of masculine norms in mind, reports Independent.

Traits like dominance, emotional control, playboy behaviour, self-reliance, increased level of homophobia, power over women, violence and risk taking were the few taken in to study.

The results showed conformity to masculine norms was more strongly correlated with negative social functioning than with psychological indicators of negative mental health.

In particular, men conforming to the masculine norms of self-reliance, power over women and playboy were "unfavourably, robustly, and consistently related to mental health-related outcomes," Independent reports.

"The key thing is that men’s attitudes towards ideals of masculinity don’t tell us about the power relationships among men and masculinities, and how this impacts mental health outcomes for some men, in particular how men from diverse backgrounds are impacted by those men who choose to embody these dominant ideals of masculinity" Dr Jo River of University of Sydney stated.



Another study by William Henry looked at perceptions of manhood and its effect on male mental health found that traditional ideas of masculinity like self-reliance and dominance can impact men's health.

The study needs to be taken and accepted opening a much-needed conversation about the impact the gender norms have on men and women, simultaneously.

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