Gender Differences in Coping with Emotional Distress

Abstract

The finding that women report and exhibit higher levels of psychological distress than men has puzzled stress researchers for years (Dohrenwend & Dohrenwend, 1976; Gove & Tudor, 1973; Kessler & McRae 1981; Link & Dohrenwend, 1980). Three major explanations have been offered. The methodological artifact explanation suggests that women are socialized to be more expressive and therefore will admit more emotional symptoms than men in response to standard psychological distress scales (e.g., Newmann, 1984). The stress-exposure argument suggests that women face more stressors in general or more severe, persistent stressors than men (e.g., Gove, 1972; Kessler & McLeod, 1984; Aneshensel & Pearlin, 1987). The vulnerability argument suggests that women lack coping resources, such as high self-esteem, a sense of mastery, or appropriate coping strategies for handling the stressors to which they are exposed (Kessler & Essex, 1982; Pearlin & Schooler, 1978; Turner & Noh, 1983).