SEX-ROLES AND PSYCHOTHERAPY - A CURRENT APPRAISAL

Reviews the current status of research on the effects of sex-role stereotypes on mental health judgments. Studies in this area have addressed (a) whether there are different sex-role-related standards of mental health for men and women, (b) if violations of sex role norms result in adverse mental health judgments, and (c) if therapists set sex-role-related goals for their clients. It is concluded that sex-role stereotypes are strong mental health cues for nonprofessionals, with violations of sex-role norms leading to adverse mental health judgments, but that while professionals share the sex-role stereotypes of their lay contemporaries, the professionals are unaffected by them in making mental health judgments and in setting therapeutic goals. This discrepancy between stereotypes and behavior may be due to any of 3 factors: the methodological limitations of the studies, actual differences in mental health between men and women, or normal attitude-behavior discrepancies. (2 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.