Sex, gender role orientation, gender role attitudes and suicidal thoughts in three generations |
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Authors: | Kate Hunt Helen Sweeting Margaret Keoghan Stephen Platt |
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Institution: | (1) MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, 4 Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow, SCO, G12 8RZ, UK;(2) Research Unit in Health, Behaviour and Change, School of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, SCO, UK |
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Abstract: | Background Suicide and other suicidal behaviours are markedly (though differently) patterned by gender. The increase in young male suicide
rates in many countries has heightened interest in whether suicidal behaviours and ideation (thoughts) are related to masculinity.
Relatively little research has explored the relationship between gender role attitudes and orientation and suicidal behaviours
and ideation. Most research in this area has been conducted with young people.
Objective We investigated whether gender role orientation (masculinity and femininity scores) and gender role attitudes were related
to the reporting of serious suicidal thoughts in three generations (early adulthood, and early and late middle age) in a community
sample.
Methods Subjects (653 men and women aged around 23 years, 754 aged around 43 years, 722 aged around 63 years) completed home interviews
with nurses as part of an ongoing longitudinal community-based study of social factors and health. These included measures
of suicidal ideation (thoughts), attitudes to traditional gender roles, and a validated measure of gender role orientation
(masculinity and femininity scores).
Results The prevalence of serious suicidal thoughts was higher in early adulthood (10% men, 15% women) than in early (4% men, 8% women)
and late (6% men, 5% women) middle age. In early adulthood only sex was significantly related to suicidal thoughts, with women
at higher risk (adjusted OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.01–3.00). In early middle age masculinity scores were negatively related to suicidal
thoughts (adjusted OR for each unit increase in score 0.65: 95% CI 0.46–0.93), and more traditional views on gender roles
were positively associated with suicidal thoughts (adjusted OR 1.48: 95% CI 1.07–2.04). In late middle age trends were in
the same direction as in early middle age, but were not statistically significant. Femininity scores were unrelated to serious
suicidal thoughts at any age.
Conclusion The high rates of suicidal thoughts amongst men and women in early adulthood point to the importance of understanding mental
health problems at this age. The results raise a number of questions and suggest that suicide researchers should pay more
attention to gender roles and attitudes in older adults.
Ethical approval was obtained from the Glasgow University ethics committee for non clinical research involving human subjects.
Funding: the Twenty–07 study is funded by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain. KH, HS and MK are employed by the
MRC. |
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Keywords: | gender gender role attitudes masculinity suicidal ideation |
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