Gender Stereotypes, Societal Pressure and Emotional Expression among Men

Abstract

Men used to be taught to suppress their feelings and refrain from talking about their emotions. So, Men today find it difficult to communicate their feelings in a healthy way, which negatively affects their mental health. The aim of the study was to understand why men find it difficult to express their emotions. Participants in this study were from 18- 60 years old and were from India. There were 167 male participants. Depression, anxiety, stress, and emotional expressivity were assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 (DASS Scale -21) and the Emotional Expressivity Scale. The results of the study show that emotional expressivity and stress, depression, and anxiety are significantly correlated. The results also indicate that there was no statistically significant difference between the various relationship status groups in terms of emotional expressivity, stress, or depression.