IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v92y2013icp83-91.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Rethinking gender and mental health: A critical analysis of three propositions

Author

Listed:
  • Hill, Terrence D.
  • Needham, Belinda L.

Abstract

In this paper, we critically examine three propositions that are widely (but not universally) accepted in the gender and mental health literature. First, women and men have similar or equal rates of overall psychopathology. Second, affective disorders like anxiety and depression, which are more common among women, and behavioral disorders like substance abuse and antisocial personality, which are more common among men, are functionally equivalent indicators of misery. Finally, women are more likely to respond to stressful conditions with affective disorders while men are more likely to respond to stressful conditions with behavioral disorders. Our review of previous research shows little to no consistent empirical support for any of these propositions. Results from national studies of overall psychopathology or “any disorder” are, at best, mixed and limited to a narrow range of mental health conditions. A comprehensive test of gender differences in overall psychopathology would require a systematic and exhaustive examination of gender differences across the known universe of mental health conditions, but this may be impossible to achieve due to a lack of consensus on the universe, the proliferation of diagnostic categories, and the tendency to pathologize the mental health of women. There is no empirical evidence to suggest that women substitute affective disorders for behavioral disorders or that men substitute behavioral disorders for affective disorders. There is no theory to suggest that affective and behavioral disorders should be treated as comparable indicators of misery. Some studies support the idea that women and men respond to stress in different ways, but most do not. Numerous studies show that women and men respond to stressors with higher levels of emotional distress, substance abuse, and antisocial behavior. We conclude with seven recommendations to advance theory and research and several general reflections on the sociological study of gender and mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Hill, Terrence D. & Needham, Belinda L., 2013. "Rethinking gender and mental health: A critical analysis of three propositions," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 83-91.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:92:y:2013:i:c:p:83-91
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.05.025
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953613003092
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.05.025?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schroeder, Ryan D. & Hill, Terrence D. & Haynes, Stacy Hoskins & Bradley, Christopher, 2011. "Physical health and crime among low-income urban women: An application of general strain theory," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 21-29.
    2. Courtenay, Will H., 2000. "Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being: a theory of gender and health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 50(10), pages 1385-1401, May.
    3. Hill, T.D. & Schroeder, R.D. & Bradley, C. & Kaplan, L.M. & Angel, R.J., 2009. "The long-term health consequences of relationship violence in adulthood: An examination of low-income women from Boston, Chicago, and San Antonio," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(9), pages 1645-1650.
    4. Hill, Terrence D. & Angel, Ronald J., 2005. "Neighborhood disorder, psychological distress, and heavy drinking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(5), pages 965-975, September.
    5. Schroeder, Ryan D. & Hill, Terrence D. & Haynes, Stacy Hoskins & Bradley, Christopher, 2011. "Physical health and crime among low-income urban women: An application of general strain theory," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 21-29, January.
    6. Griffin, Joan M. & Fuhrer, Rebecca & Stansfeld, Stephen A. & Marmot, Michael, 2002. "The importance of low control at work and home on depression and anxiety: do these effects vary by gender and social class?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 54(5), pages 783-798, March.
    7. Rosenfield, Sarah, 2012. "Triple jeopardy? Mental health at the intersection of gender, race, and class," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(11), pages 1791-1801.
    8. Gove, Walter R., 1984. "Gender differences in mental and physical illness: The effects of fixed roles and nurturant roles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 77-84, January.
    9. Needham, Belinda & Hill, Terrence D., 2010. "Do gender differences in mental health contribute to gender differences in physical health?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(8), pages 1472-1479, October.
    10. Catherine Ross & Ryan Masters & Robert Hummer, 2012. "Education and the Gender Gaps in Health and Mortality," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(4), pages 1157-1183, November.
    11. Slopen, Natalie & Williams, David R. & Fitzmaurice, Garrett M. & Gilman, Stephen E., 2011. "Sex, stressful life events, and adult onset depression and alcohol dependence: Are men and women equally vulnerable?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(4), pages 615-622, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yount, Kathryn M. & Dijkerman, Sally & Zureick-Brown, Sarah & VanderEnde, Kristin E., 2014. "Women's empowerment and generalized anxiety in Minya, Egypt," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 185-193.
    2. Laura Upenieks & Matthew A. Andersson & Markus H. Schafer, 2021. "God, Father, Mother, Gender: How Are Religiosity and Parental Bonds During Childhood Linked to Midlife Flourishing?," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(7), pages 3199-3220, October.
    3. Copeland, Molly & Kamis, Christina & Varela, Gabriel, 2023. "Pathways from peers to mental health: Adolescent networks, role attainment, and adult depressive symptoms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 324(C).
    4. Wang, Donggen & Yang, Min, 2023. "Gendered mobility and activity pattern: implications for gendered mental health," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Evelina Landstedt & Per Gustafsson & Klara Johansson & Anne Hammarström, 2016. "Longitudinal associations between social relationships at age 30 and internalising symptoms at age 42: findings from the Northern Swedish Cohort," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(1), pages 75-81, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kjellsson, Sara, 2018. "," Working Paper Series 2/2018, Stockholm University, Swedish Institute for Social Research.
    2. James F. Anderson & Kelley Reinsmith-Jones, 2017. "Opioid Addiction in Rural North Carolina: A Criminal Justice and Public Health Issue," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 5(7), pages 42-53, July.
    3. Otsu, Yuki & Yuen, C.Y. Kelvin, 2022. "Health, crime, and the labor market: Theory and policy analysis," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Fahmy, Chantal & Mitchell, Meghan M., 2022. "Examining recidivism during reentry: Proposing a holistic model of health and wellbeing," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. DeLisi, Matt & Neppl, Tricia K. & Lohman, Brenda J. & Vaughn, Michael G. & Shook, Jeffrey J., 2013. "Early starters: Which type of criminal onset matters most for delinquent careers?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 12-17.
    6. Danya Lagos, 2018. "Looking at Population Health Beyond “Male” and “Female”: Implications of Transgender Identity and Gender Nonconformity for Population Health," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(6), pages 2097-2117, December.
    7. Vaughn, Michael G. & DeLisi, Matt & Beaver, Kevin M. & Perron, Brian E. & Abdon, Arnelyn, 2012. "Toward a criminal justice epidemiology: Behavioral and physical health of probationers and parolees in the United States," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(3), pages 165-173.
    8. Hailemariam, Abebe & Yew, Siew Ling & Appau, Samuelson, 2021. "Gender health gaps: The role of risky addictive behaviors," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 639-660.
    9. Anna Zajacova & Katrina Walsemann & Jennifer Dowd, 2015. "The Long Arm of Adolescent Health Among Men and Women: Does Attained Status Explain Its Association with Mid-Adulthood Health?," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 34(1), pages 19-48, February.
    10. Testa, Alexander & Semenza, Daniel, 2020. "Criminal offending and health over the life-course: A dual-trajectory approach," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    11. Jacobson, Jerry Owen & Robinson, Paul & Bluthenthal, Ricky N., 2007. "A multilevel decomposition approach to estimate the role of program location and neighborhood disadvantage in racial disparities in alcohol treatment completion," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(2), pages 462-476, January.
    12. Ruth Hancock & Marcello Morciano & Stephen Pudney & Francesca Zantomio, 2015. "Do household surveys give a coherent view of disability benefit targeting?: a multisurvey latent variable analysis for the older population in Great Britain," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 178(4), pages 815-836, October.
    13. Sánchez-Sandoval, Yolanda & Aragón, Claudia & Verdugo, Laura, 2022. "Future expectations of adolescents in Residential Care: The role of self-perceptions," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    14. Syed Hasan & Odmaa Narantungalag, & Martin Berka, 2022. "The intended and unintended consequences of large electricity subsidies: evidence from Mongolia," Discussion Papers 2202, School of Economics and Finance, Massey University, New Zealand.
    15. Wiklund, Maria & Bengs, Carita & Malmgren-Olsson, Eva-Britt & Öhman, Ann, 2010. "Young women facing multiple and intersecting stressors of modernity, gender orders and youth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(9), pages 1567-1575, November.
    16. van Ooijen, R. & Alessi, R. & Knoef, M., 2015. "Health status over the life cycle," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 15/21, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    17. Parker, Rhiannon & Larkin, Theresa & Cockburn, Jon, 2017. "A visual analysis of gender bias in contemporary anatomy textbooks," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 106-113.
    18. Molly A. Martin & Margaret Gough Courtney & Adam M. Lippert, 2022. "The Risks and Consequences of Skipping Meals for Low-Income Mothers," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(6), pages 2613-2644, December.
    19. Michelle Calvarese, 2015. "The Effect of Gender on Stress Factors: An Exploratory Study among University Students," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-8, November.
    20. Oliffe, John, 2005. "Constructions of masculinity following prostatectomy-induced impotence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 60(10), pages 2249-2259, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    USA; Gender; Mental health; Stress; Theory;
    All these keywords.

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:92:y:2013:i:c:p:83-91. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.