title: The relationship between help-seeking attitudes and masculine norms among monozygotic male twins discordant for sexual orientation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In general, heterosexual men are less favorable to asking for help compared to women and gay men. This can be problematic if a man avoids professional help when he is experiencing significant psychological distress. Yet, it is unclear to what degree such attitudes among men are due to innate differences or social environments. Studying twins provides one avenue for teasing apart these relationships.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 38 pairs of monozygotic male twins (Mage = 35.87 years, SD = 9.52) raised together and who were discordant for sexual orientation. They completed measures of psychological distress (Symptom Checklist-90-Revised), positive attitudes toward psychological help-seeking behavior, and emphasis with fulfilling traditional masculine norms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrary to predictions, the heterosexual twins expressed more symptoms of specific distress-hostility (r = .30), paranoid ideation (r = .26), and psychoticism (r = .24)-than their gay cotwins. As predicted, heterosexual men were less favorable to seeking help (r = .25) and expressed greater emphasis on masculine norms (r = .26) than their cotwins. Within each group of men, unique aspects of masculine norms were significantly related to attitudes toward psychological help-seeking behavior.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings lend credence to the hypothesis that social environments influence attitudes and behaviors that are stereotypically masculine and potentially detrimental to men's health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gender-Based Biology, and Department of Human Genetics, UCLA School of Medicine, USA. fsanchez3@wisc.edu
authors.forename: Francisco J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bocklandt
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vilain
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D020010:Heterosexuality; D006716:Homosexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological