7 - (IOP41) Higher Masculine Gender Role Stress and Its Association with Increased Depressive Severity Among Male Service Members and Veterans

Depression is associated with cardiovascular diseases, poor treatment outcomes, and increased risk of morbidity, mortality, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. With the unique stressors of military service, depression affects 23% of male soldiers, underscoring the need to effectively identify risk factors for depression among male service members and veterans (SM/V). Prominent theories of depression propose that key components of the disorder include rumination on and difficulty redirecting oneself from negative thoughts. An individual’s negative self-perception, such as their evaluation of masculinity, can be a critical risk factor. The masculinity hypothesis posits that when men feel they fail to meet societal masculinity expectations, it can lead to masculine gender role stress and negative affect. While previous research has found the indirect effect of depression on the association between masculine gender role stress and suicide risk, little is known about how specific facets of masculine gender role stress, such as physical inadequacy, emotional stoicism, subordination to women, intellectual inferiority, and performance failure, contribute to depression, especially in hypermasculine environments like the military. Emotional stoicism is highlighted as a risk factor for gender role stress and depression, but the roles of physical inadequacy, subordination to women, intellectual inferiority, and performance failure remain less understood. This study uses self-report survey data from a sample of 363 male SM/V who completed measures of demographics, masculine gender role stress, and depressive symptoms. Linear regression assessed the association between the four components of masculine gender role stress and covariates of minority race, serving as a Marine, and being discharged, and depression. The regression accounted for 14.5% of the variance in depressive symptoms (F(7,355)=9.783, p< 0.001). Higher perceptions of intellectual inferiority (b=.120, t=2.146, p=0.033), performance failure (b=.112, t=2.007, p=0.045), physical inadequacy (b=.241, t=4.152, p< 0.001), and identification as part of a minority race (b=.141, t=2.892, p=0.004) were significantly associated with higher depression severity. Subordination to women (b=.014, t=.263, p=0.793), being a Marine (b=.004, t=.089, p=0.929), and being discharged (b=.006, t=.116, p=0.908) were not significantly associated with depression severity. Depression interventions for male SM/V should incorporate addressing negative self-perceptions of one’s masculinity, along with reinforcing new patterns of thinking and evaluating oneself. Several limitations should be considered, and results should be interpretated with caution. Since the analysis used self-report data from a predominantly white SM/V convenience sample, results may not generalize to other populations. Additionally, the study did not assess emotional stoicism, a factor commonly included in gender role stress research on men. Examining emotional stoicism alongside other aspects of masculine gender role stress may offer a deeper understanding of gender-related stressors men encounter in the military.