Sex roles in addiction: defense or deficit?
Overly masculine, "macho" males and feminine, "seductive" females are found in clients addicted to alcohol and/or drugs. Contrary to expectations, on the Bem Sex-Role Inventory males (N = 60) rated themselves, in descending order, Undifferentiated, 38.5%; Feminine, 33%; Masculine, 17%; and Androgynous, 11.5%. Females (N = 36), more predictively, saw themselves as Feminine, 50%; Undifferentiated, 31%; Androgynous, 11%; and Masculine, 8%. Independent variables of age, income, marital status, severity of addiction, length of inpatient treatment, level of education, and parental marital status did not significantly affect the results. Extreme sex-role dress and behavior appear to be a defense against the overall damage resulting from the addictive disease rather than a contributor to or cause of the disease.
D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008297:Male; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*