Depression in men and its relation to the traditional male ideology and alexithymia


Abstract

The aim of this research was to see if there is a direct relationship between the levels of depression in men and the presence of a traditional male ideology. The demands of the traditional male role today continue to suppress what is related to emotional expression, stressing the importance of being strong and not needing help. That is why such mental illnesses as depression are affected by traditional masculinity and a high cognitive rigidity expressed in beliefs about gender roles. The presence of alexithymia and its relation to traditional male ideology and depression has also been analysed. To this end, the Male Role Standards Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were administered to 50 men over the age of 25 in the general population. This is a correlational study in which the baseline hypothesis was that the levels of depression and the score in the TAS-20 correlated directly with the scores obtained in the Male Role Standards Scale. The results showed that there is a relationship between a factor of traditional male ideology and depression, mediated by alexithymia.

Keywords: Depression, alexithymia, gender roles, male depression, male health

Article Details

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López Ruiz, M., & Presmanes Roqueñi, L. (2018). Depression in men and its relation to the traditional male ideology and alexithymia. MLS Psychology Research, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.33000/mlspr.v1i1.113


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