The Cost of Conformity: Emotional Wellbeing Mediates the Link Between Masculine Norms and Mental Health in North Indian Men

Abstract

Background: Globally, conformity to restrictive masculine norms is a well-established risk factor for poor mental health in men, with eroded emotional wellbeing posited as a key mediating mechanism. However, this pathway has been predominantly validated in Western, individualistic contexts. Its applicability in collectivist, patriarchal settings like North India, where the performance of traditional masculinity (mardangi) is deeply entrenched, remains largely unknown. Aims: This study investigated the relationship between conformity to masculine norms, emotional wellbeing, and mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, stress) among North Indian men. We tested the hypothesis that emotional wellbeing mediates the relationship between masculine norm conformity and psychological distress. Methods: A community sample of 203 North Indian men (aged 18-40) completed a cross- sectional survey comprising the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory (CMNI-22), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). Data were analyzed using correlation and multiple regression analyses. Results: Conformity to masculine norms was directly correlated only with stress (r = .167, p =.017), not with depression or anxiety. Crucially, emotional wellbeing was a strong negative predictor of all mental health outcomes. Regression analyses revealed that emotional wellbeing fully mediated the relationship between conformity and depression and partially mediated its relationships with anxiety and stress. A paradoxical, non-significant positive correlation was found between conformity and emotional wellbeing, suggesting that adherence to mardangi may confer a superficial sense of identity while simultaneously damaging the emotional resources necessary for mental health. Conclusions: The performance of mardangi in North India contributes to mental illness not merely through direct pressure, but primarily through the systematic erosion of emotional wellbeing. The findings reveal a critical paradox where the very identity that grants social status psychologically cripples men by enforcing emotional suppression. Interventions must target emotional literacy and leverage culturally congruent, activity-based platforms and community gatekeepers to address this silent crisis.