Involuntary singlehood, gender equality and mental health in contemporary Sweden

Abstract In recent years, acts of violence against women have been tied to online communities of men who self-identify as involuntary celibates or ‘incels’. These men experience an inability to enter intimate relationships with women, attributing the issue to a gynocentric order in which women hold power and men are victims. This is while evidence suggests that in contemporary societies at large, growing numbers of men live without, or face difficulties in forming, intimate relationships with women, and while many men in Sweden, particularly young ones, report loneliness. At the same time, in Sweden we see a growing polarization between men and women regarding views on gender equality, especially among youth, as young men express gender conservative values and the notion that feminism is to blame for some men’s feelings of societal marginalization. Increased knowledge about these issues, and how they may be connected, is of strong importance for public mental health. In an ongoing research project, we take the incels phenomenon as our starting-point and as one area of attention, while also directing focus toward involuntary singlehood and celibacy among men and women in Sweden more broadly. The latter is investigated through a survey, which is the focus of this presentation. The survey explores the prevalence of short- and long-term experiences of involuntary singlehood and celibacy among men and women in the general population (n = 5000), and how such experiences are made sense of. Any correlations between such experiences and self-rated mental health and satisfaction with life, and attitudes towards gender equality and violence against women, are investigated, including any noteworthy differences along lines of gender, age and socioeconomic background. Experienced loneliness, irrespective of relationship status, is also assessed. The presentation will discuss preliminary results of the survey study and discuss their implications for public mental health. Key messages • Involuntary singlehood among men is a public health issue warranting further investigation. • Correlations between involuntary singlehood and mental health as well as attitudes towards gender equality will be discussed.