Is Beauty a Blessing? Examining the Association Between Attractiveness and Mental Health

• In Event: Sociology of the Body and Embodiment Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 2: Beauty and Idealized/Stigmatized Bodies

Abstract

Previous research demonstrates that attractiveness influences how individuals are treated and the opportunities they are granted, yet its relationship to mental health is less well understood. Attractiveness is associated with social, educational, and economic advantages, suggesting that there may be corresponding benefits for mental health. Informed by previous studies that suggest beauty has a positive association with better mental health, the present study empirically tests the following hypothesis: Attractive people will be associated with better mental health than unattractive people. Using zero-inflated negative binomial regression models, I analyze the association between externally-rated physical attractiveness and the number of self-reported bad mental health days in the past 30 days. Results reveal no statistically significant relationship between attractiveness and mental health, whereas age and physical health are significantly related to mental health outcomes. The lack of a statistically significant relationship between mental health and attractiveness challenges the assumption that attractiveness benefits mental health. These findings suggest that while attractiveness can shape how people are perceived and treated, it may not necessarily protect them from the emotional challenges that influence one’s mental health.

Author

• Jayne Yerrick, Stony Brook University