The Illusion of “El Chingon”: A Scoping Review on How Machismo Affects Mental Health and Behavior

Machismo is a set of cultural values tethered to the gender binary, defined by the specific gender roles and expectations that men have to act upon. These ideals create a male archetype based on aggression, stoicism, superiority, and the enabling of sexist attitudes. Research has shown that rigid hypermasculine attitudes have a negative effect on mental health (e.g., depression and anxiety symptoms) and behavior (e.g., aggression and substance abuse). However, given its cultural context, much less is known about how machismo may manifest based on different demographic variables. Therefore, the goal of this scoping review was to understand the relation between machismo and mental and behavioral health outcomes among diverse samples. Empirical studies were identified using two databases, EBSCO and Copley Database, and were carefully assessed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. There were 20 studies extracted for final review. Majority of studies investigated the relation between machismo and behavioral health (n = 16), with very few links to mental health (n = 4). Majority of the studies included Latine samples (n = 16), very few female samples (n = 2). Overall, results highlight the link between machismo and behavioral health. Although past literature has identified a link between machismo and mental health, the existing work is limited. This review emphasizes the need to address gaps in the current understanding of machismo. The findings may help inform future work examining the health implications of machismo across diverse communities.