Understanding How Anxiety Might Be Different For Men
Editor’s Note: This hour discusses suicide, anxiety and other mental health issues.
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (En Español: 1-888-628-9454; Deaf and Hard of Hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting 741741.
Other Resources: Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, The Jed Foundation, National Alliance on Mental Illness
Men and anxiety. New studies show that men don’t experience or express anxiety in the same way as women. That could be affecting men’s access to treatment, and their mental health.
Guests
Michael Addis, professor of psychology and director of the Men’s Well-Being Research Group at Clark University. Author of “Invisible Men: Men’s Inner Lives and the Consequences of Silence” and co-author of “The Psychology of Men in Context.”
Stefan Hofmann, professor in the clinical program at Boston University, where he directs the Psychotherapy and Emotion Research Laboratory. He’s also affiliated with Boston University’s Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders. Author of the forthcoming “The Anxiety Skills Workbook: Simple CBT and Mindfulness Strategies for Overcoming Anxiety, Fear, and Worry.”
Mark Farley, founder of an on-campus chapter of Active Minds, a mental health advocacy group, when he was a student at Rhodes College.
From The Reading List
Wall Street Journal: “Anxiety Looks Different in Men” — “When a man explodes in anger over something seemingly insignificant, he may appear like just a jerk. But he could be anxious.
“Anxiety problems can look different in men. When people think of anxiety, they may picture the excessive worry and avoidance of frightening situations that often plague those who suffer. These afflict men, too. But there’s a growing recognition among psychologists that men are more likely to complain of headaches, difficulty sleeping and muscle aches and pains. They are more likely to use alcohol and drugs to cope with anxiety, so what looks like a drinking problem may actually be an underlying anxiety disorder. And anxiety in men often manifests as anger and irritability.
“Anxious ‘men may present as loose cannons, but they are worriers,’ says Kevin Chapman, a clinical psychologist in Louisville, Ky. ‘Aggression tends to be more socially acceptable to many men than anxiety.’
“Studies have found that about one in five men (and about one in three women) will have an anxiety disorder during their lifetime. But psychologists are increasingly concerned that those numbers underreport male cases.”
Harvard Business Review: “How Men Get Penalized for Straying from Masculine Norms” — “When women behave in ways that don’t fit their gender stereotype — for example, by being assertive — they are viewed as less likable and ultimately less hirable. Does that same hold true for men? Are they similarly penalized for straying from the strong masculine stereotype?
“The short answer is yes. Research demonstrates that men too face backlash when they don’t adhere to masculine gender stereotypes — when they show vulnerability, act nicer, display empathy, express sadness, exhibit modesty, and proclaim to be feminists. This is troubling not least because it discourages men from behaving in ways known to benefit their teams and their own careers. Let’s look at each of these behaviors:
“Showing vulnerability. Men are socialized to not ask for help or be vulnerable — and they can be penalized when they challenge this notion. An informative set of studies from 2015 finds that when male (but not female) leaders ask for help, they are viewed as less competent, capable, and confident. And when men make themselves vulnerable by disclosing a weakness at work, they are perceived to have lower status. This is problematic, as not seeking help when you need it or admitting areas for improvement inevitably leads to mistakes and less development.”
Slate: “Men Get Stereotyped Too. It’s Time the Court Acknowledges It.” — “What does it mean to be a man? As the stereotype goes, a ‘real man’ is athletic, a provider, virile, and confident. He is strong, definitely heteronormative, and preferably tends toward hypermasculinity. These stereotypes of masculinity are as damaging to men as they are to the women impacted by the behavior they inspire.
“The trilogy of cases the United States Supreme Court will hear on Tuesday, R.G. and G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. EEOC, Altitude Express v. Zarda, and Bostock v. Clayton County, are, at their core, about masculinity. The first case deals with transgender rights, and the other two concern sexual orientation. Together, they will force the court to take up the question of whether sex stereotypes are a reason to protect people who are assigned male at birth when they transition, or when they deviate from heterosexual norms. Workplace protections have already been expanded to combat discrimination against women based on stereotypes of femininity. They must also include protection for behavior that deviates from the binary definition of what it means to be a man.”
This article was originally published on WBUR.org. [Copyright 2019 NPR]
