Gendered Resource Pathways to Externalizing and Internalizing Symptoms

• In Event: 50214 - Mental Health and Stratification/Inequality

Abstract

Using a nationally representative sample of US Adults (National Health, Well-being and Perspectives Survey, N=1002), this research explores how social and personal resources shape gender gaps in externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Findings indicated that women had more anxiety than men. This gap decreased after accounting for women’s lower personal resources and increased from women’s higher social resources. Men reported more alcohol use/abuse than women, but resources did little to explain this. Social support and self-efficacy negatively associated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Companionship was negatively related to internalizing and positively related to externalizing symptoms. Self-salience showed a curvilinear effect on symptoms that varied by gender. For women, being at the midpoint for self-salience was associated with the fewest internalizing and externalizing symptoms. For men, being on either endpoint was associated with fewer symptoms. Gender gaps were largest at the low and high levels of self-salience.

Author

• Christina Falci, University of Alabama-Birmingham