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Cited by 66Gender Roles and Identity StudiesMental Health Treatment and AccessGender and Feminist Studies

Associations between conformity to masculine norms and depression: age effects from a population study of Australian men

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Herreen, Danielle, Rice, Simon, Currier, Dianne, Schlichthorst, Marisa, Zajac, Ian·2021·BMC Psychology
DOI 10.1186/s40359-021-00533-6PMC PMC7893732
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Abstract

Background: Strict adherence to masculine norms has been associated with deleterious consequences for the physical and mental health of men. However, population-based research is lacking, and it remains unclear whether ageing influences adherence to masculine norms and the extent to which mental health problems like depression are implicated. Methods: This study reports on data from 14,516 males aged 15–55 years who participated in Wave 1 of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Male Health (Ten to Men). Group differences in self-reported conformity to masculine norms (CMNI-22), current depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and self-reported 12-month depression history were examined for males aged 15–17 years, 18–25 years, 26–35 years, 36–50 years, and 51–55 years. Generalised linear models were used to examine the relationships between these variables across age groups. Results: Conformity to masculine norms decreased significantly with age. However, models predicting depression generally showed that higher conformity to masculine norms was associated with an increased risk of current depressive symptoms, especially in the oldest age group. Conversely, higher conformity was associated with a decreased likelihood of a self-reported 12-month depression history, although nuances were present between age groups, such that this trend was not evident in the oldest age group. Conclusions: Findings provide important insights into the complex relationship between conformity to masculine norms and depressive symptoms across the lifespan and further highlight the importance of mental health campaigns that address the complexities of gendered help-seeking behaviour for men.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Herreen, D., Rice, S., Currier, D., Schlichthorst, M., & Zajac, I.
Affiliations
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
  • The University of Melbourne (AU)
Corresponding author
Herreen, Danielle
ORCID
Venue
BMC Psychology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-02-19
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
32-32
ISSN
2050-7283 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s40359-021-00533-6
PMC
PMC7893732
OpenAlex
W3131159761
Cited by
66
References
14
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 5
FWCI
13.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Australian Government
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
  • Medical Research Council
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (GNT1158881)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
Keywords
masculine norms, depression, depressive symptoms, men's mental health, age differences, PHQ-9
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Australia, Depression, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Social Behavior, Young Adult, Masculinity

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