Mediating Effects of Masculine Norms on Posttraumatic Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Symptoms Among Adult Men with an Emphasis on Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

Victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) are at greater risk of developing psychopathology in adulthood. Most research on CSA has focused on female survivors, while the experiences of male survivors have been comparatively understudied. Consequently, factors that contribute to the mental health outcomes of male CSA survivors require further investigation. The current study examined how greater endorsement of conformity to masculine norms (Winning, Emotional Control, Risk-Taking, Violence, Playboy, Self-Reliance, Primacy of Work, Power Over Women, and Heterosexual Self-Presentation) mediated the relation between CSA severity and depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). Data were collected from 649 adult males, 25.2% of whom reported experiencing child or adolescent sexual abuse (mean age = 29.7). The sample was recruited from a college sample and through Amazon MTurk. Mediation analyses confirmed significant direct effects between CSA and depression and anxiety symptoms, but not PTSS. Masculinity subscales, Playboy and Self-Reliance, mediated the relation between CSA and depression and anxiety. None of the masculinity subscales had a significant mediating effect between CSA and PTSS. Findings demonstrated that adherence to masculine norms influence long-term mental health outcomes in men. Clinicians working with male CSA survivors may operationalize these findings to tailor treatment by restructuring clients' views of masculinity to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.