Understanding Men and their Stress Coping mechanism strategies
Keywords:
Men’s Mental Health, Stress Coping Mechanisms, Masculinity Norms ,Psychological Resilience , Adaptive and Maladaptive CopingAbstract
This study empirically investigates the stress-coping mechanisms employed by men and their subsequent impact on holistic mental well-being. Recognising that traditional masculine norms heavily discourage emotional vulnerability, the research examines how men navigate psychological strain in modern urban environments. Utilising a mixed-methods design with 263 male participants aged 18 to 60, the study identifies occupational and financial pressures as primary stressors. The findings reveal a high prevalence of maladaptive avoidance coping, such as emotional withdrawal and distraction-based behaviours, which significantly correlate with increased anxiety and depression. Conversely, adaptive strategies like problem-solving and physical exercise correlate with better mental health outcomes but are underutilised due to stigma. The study concludes that fostering "flexible masculinity" and gender-responsive clinical practices are essential for improving male psychological resilience.
References
Addis, M. E. (2008). Gender and depression in men. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 15(3), 153–168. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.2008.00125.x
Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking. American Psychologist, 58(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.5
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.
Bilsker, D., Fogarty, A. S., & Wakefield, M. A. (2018). Critical issues in men’s mental health. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 63(9), 590-596.
Connell, R. W. (1995). Masculinities. University of California Press.
Courtenay, W. H. (2000). Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: A theory of gender and health. Social Science & Medicine, 50(10), 1385–1401. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00390-1
Kiselica, M. S., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2010). Identifying, affirming, and building upon male strengths: The positive psychology/positive masculinity model of psychotherapy with boys and men. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47(3), 276–287. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021159
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., & Williams, J. B. (2001). The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(9), 606–613.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer Publishing Company.
Levant, R. F. (1992). Toward the psychology of men. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 9(3), 329–351.
Mahalik, J. R., Locke, B. D., Ludlow, L. H., Diemer, M. A., Scott, R. P., Gottfried, M., & Freitas, G. (2003). Development of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 4(1), 3–25.
Martin, L. A., Neighbors, H. W., & Griffith, D. M. (2013). The experience of symptoms of depression in men vs women: Analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. JAMA Psychiatry, 70(10), 1100–1106.
Matud, M. P. (2004). Gender differences in stress and coping styles. Personality and Individual Differences, 37(7), 1401–1415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2004.01.010
O'Neil, J. M., Helms, B. J., Gable, R. K., David, L., & Wrightsman, L. S. (1986). Gender-Role Conflict Scale: College men's fear of femininity. Sex Roles, 14(5-6), 335–350.
Pleck, J. H. (1981). The myth of masculinity. MIT Press.
Pleck, J. H. (1995). The gender role strain paradigm: An update. In R. F. Levant & W. S. Pollack (Eds.), A new psychology of men (pp. 11–32). Basic Books.
Reidy, D. E., Berke, D. S., Gentile, B., & Zeichner, A. (2015). Man enough? Masculine discrepancy stress and intimate partner violence. Personality and Individual Differences, 86, 160-165.
Spitzer, R. L., Kroenke, K., Williams, J. B., & Löwe, B. (2006). A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7. Archives of Internal Medicine, 166(10), 1092–1097.
Downloads
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
