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Child / Adolescent - Trauma / Maltreatment

The Interactive Roles of Childhood Maltreatment and Masculinity in Predicting Experiential Avoidance and Psychological Distress among College Men

(PS6-60) The Interactive Roles of Childhood Maltreatment and Masculinity in Predicting Experiential Avoidance and Psychological Distress Among College Men

Friday, November 15, 2024
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin Hall, Level 4, Marriott Downtown
Abstract Text: Rigid adherence to masculine ideology (MI) and male gender role stress (MGRS) are linked to psychological distress in young men (O’Neil, 2015). This link may be particularly important for men with child maltreatment. Adherence to MI may serve as a barrier to adaptive coping following abuse (Easton et al., 2013; Kia-Keating et al., 2005), as victimization is antithetical to tenets of masculinity, in which strength and aggression are valued over weakness and being a victim. The confluence of maltreatment and masculinity may contribute to a greater propensity to engage in experiential avoidance (EA), the use of rigid cognitive, affective, and behavioral patterns to avoid negative internal events (Hayes et al., 1996). Indeed, Lisak et al. (1996) have theorized that the conflict between negative emotions and MI likely leads to an intolerance (and perhaps avoidance) of distressing emotions following abuse. No research has examined the possible moderating role of MI or MGRS in the relationship between childhood maltreatment severity (CMS) and both EA and distress.

Participants were 196 male college students recruited from a psychology department research participant pool. Participants completed anonymous questionnaires including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Male Role Norms Inventory, the Masculine Gender Role Stress Scale, the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire, and the Brief Symptom Inventory (distress).

Results of correlations indicated that greater CMS was significantly related to greater EA and distress (ps < .05). Four hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine main effects and interactions between CMS and one aspect of masculinity when predicting EA and distress. Two analyses examined MGRS; two analyses examined MI.

Results in step 1 of the first analysis examining EA showed that MGRS (β = 0.31, p < .001) significantly predicted EA, whereas CMS did not (p = .18). These two predictors as a set accounted for 11% of the variance in EA, p < .001. The interaction effect was not significant in step 2 (ΔR2 = .01, p = .24). Results in step 1 of the second analysis showed that neither CMS (p = .15) nor MI (p = .08) had significant contributions in predicting EA (together accounting for 3% of the variance in EA, p = .07). The interaction effect between CMS and MI was significant in step 2, ΔR2 = .05, p = .001.

Results in step 1 of the first analysis examining distress showed that both CMS (β = 0.26, p < .001) and MGRS (β = 0.28, p < .001) made significant contributions in predicting distress, accounting for 16% of the variance in distress, p < .001. The interaction effect was not significant in step 2, ΔR2 = .006, p = .23). Results in step 1 of the second analysis showed that CMS (β = 0.28, p < .001) significantly predicted distress, whereas MI did not (p = .35). These two predictors as a set accounted for 8% of the variance in distress, p < .001. The interaction effect between CMS and MI in step 2 was significant, ΔR2 = .02, p = .03.

Collectively, results indicate that MGRS directly predicts both EA and distress in college men. MI on the other hand moderates the relationship between CMS and both EA and distress. Implications will be discussed as they pertain to cognitive-behavioral interventions for men with histories of maltreatment.