Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States.
Psychol Health. 2009 Oct;24(8):981-96. doi: 10.1080/08870440802311330.
The utility of emotional approach coping (EAC), or expressing and processing emotions, has been equivocal for men. Gender role conflict, or the negative cognitive, emotional and behavioural consequences associated with male gender role socialisation, likely shape coping responses and may negatively affect the efficacy of men's emotion-directed coping efforts and adjustment to cancer. Perceptions of receptiveness of one's interpersonal environment may be particularly important to the effectiveness of EAC. This study examined the relationships among EAC, gender role conflict, and distress in a group of 183 men with cancer. Structural equation modelling revealed that higher gender role conflict was associated with lower emotional expression, which in turn was associated with greater distress. Gender role conflict was not related to emotional processing. Higher gender role conflict also was associated directly with more distress. In subsequent analyses, social constraints and age were examined as possible moderators of EAC. Emotional expression was related to more psychological distress for those in highly constrained environments; and emotional processing was associated with more distress with younger age. Emotional expression may be particularly affected by social influences related to gender and social receptivity. More research is needed to better distinguish constructive and unconstructive emotional processing.
情绪应对策略（EAC）的实用性，即表达和处理情绪，对男性来说一直存在争议。性别角色冲突，或与男性性别角色社会化相关的消极认知、情感和行为后果，可能会影响应对方式，并可能对男性情绪导向应对努力的效果和对癌症的适应产生负面影响。对人际环境的接受程度的感知可能对 EAC 的有效性特别重要。本研究在 183 名男性癌症患者中考察了 EAC、性别角色冲突和困扰之间的关系。结构方程模型显示，较高的性别角色冲突与较低的情绪表达相关，而情绪表达又与更大的困扰相关。性别角色冲突与情绪处理无关。较高的性别角色冲突也与更多的困扰直接相关。在后续的分析中，考察了社会约束和年龄作为 EAC 的可能调节因素。在高度受限的环境中，情绪表达与更多的心理困扰有关；而情绪处理与年龄较小有关。情绪表达可能特别受到与性别和社会接受度相关的社会影响的影响。需要进一步研究来更好地区分建设性和非建设性的情绪处理。
