Gendered Patterns in Anxiety and Subjective Well-Being
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12465720 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mariana Pinho (0000-0002-8372-9272, Universidade Lusófona, corresponding author), Enrickson Varsori (0000-0002-8875-9278, University of Minho, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-09 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sexuality & Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1095-5143 • E-ISSN: 1936-4822 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12119-026-10535-4 |
| OpenAlex | W7128424730 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 49 |
Mental health research has historically overlooked gender differences, leading to a gap in accuracy and inclusivity in the psychology field. The current study explored how anxiety and subjective well-being vary with gender, using a large nationally representative Portuguese sample ( N = 3300) that completed extensive questionnaires, which included validated measures of anxiety (state and trait), life satisfaction, and positive and negative affect. The findings revealed that women reported higher levels of anxiety, both state and trait, compared to men. Women also indicated significantly higher negative affect than men. Interestingly, no significant gender differences were found for life satisfaction and positive affect. The findings showed that both anxiety state and trait were significant predictors of lower life satisfaction and higher negative affect for both genders (particularly among women), underscoring anxiety’s detrimental role in well-being. The results also demonstrated that negative affect mediated the effect of anxiety trait on life satisfaction and that mediation was further moderated by gender. The findings emphasise the importance of adopting inclusive and gender-sensitive research approaches to ensure that mental health research and practice genuinely represent the diverse experiences of all individuals
Affect (linguistics · Anxiety · Life satisfaction · Mental health · Portuguese · Trait anxiety · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Resilience and Mental Health
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Understanding Gender Differences in Anxiety
The satisfaction with life scale
Mapping the Margins
The religion paradox
Gender differences in negative affect and well-being
Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking
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Subjective well-being
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Doing Gender
Hegemonic Masculinity
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |