The Relationship Between Internalized Sexism and depression, Anxiety, and Stress in Women: Self-Esteem as the Mediator

Depression, anxiety, and stress are mental health problems that are more frequently seen in women than in men. This situation is thought to be caused by social factors. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of internalized sexism with mental health problems and the mediating role of low self-esteem in women. The data were collected from 318 women living in Turkey using the online versions of the Internalized Sexism Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale Short Form (DASS-21). The relationships between variables were evaluated by correlation analysis. Stress, anxiety, and depression were found to be negatively correlated with self-esteem and positively correlated with internalized sexism. It was determined that self-esteem mediated the relationship between internalized sexism and depression, anxiety, and stress. The results of the study suggest that the impact of gender norms on women’s mental health should not be ignored to protect and improve women’s mental health.