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14 - All the World’s a Stage

Men, Masculinity, and Mental Health Stigma

from Part III - Stigma and Mental Health in Specific Contexts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2022

By
Stephen R. Wester
Edited by
David L. Vogel  and
Nathaniel G. Wade
David L. Vogel
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
Nathaniel G. Wade
Affiliation:
Iowa State University
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Summary

Stigma serves as the mechanism through which an individual is disqualified from full social acceptance because they exhibit an attitude, a behavior, or a characteristic that is regarded as socially unacceptable. For men, this is most often experienced when they violate the socialized male gender role, often in the form of appearing feminine, weak, suffering from psychological distress, or asking for psychological help. Men subsequently adjust their behaviors to conform to the socialized traditional male gender role regardless of the interpersonal and/or psychological consequences. The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the predominant theories of masculinity and articulate the linkages between those theories and the current understanding of mental health stigma. An overview of the small (but growing) body of literature linking mental health stigma to men, masculinity, and a variety of outcomes is then provided. Finally, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the broader implications these concepts have for mental health stigma research as well as the psychology of men and areas needing further research.

Keywords

masculinitymenstigmamental health

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The Cambridge Handbook of Stigma and Mental Health , pp. 282 - 301
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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