Gendered Patterns in Anxiety and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract Mental health research has historically overlooked gender differences, leading to a gap in accuracy and inclusivity in the psychology field. The current study explored how anxiety and subjective well-being vary with gender, using a large nationally representative Portuguese sample ( N = 3300) that completed extensive questionnaires, which included validated measures of anxiety (state and trait), life satisfaction, and positive and negative affect. The findings revealed that women reported higher levels of anxiety, both state and trait, compared to men. Women also indicated significantly higher negative affect than men. Interestingly, no significant gender differences were found for life satisfaction and positive affect. The findings showed that both anxiety state and trait were significant predictors of lower life satisfaction and higher negative affect for both genders (particularly among women), underscoring anxiety’s detrimental role in well-being. The results also demonstrated that negative affect mediated the effect of anxiety trait on life satisfaction and that mediation was further moderated by gender. The findings emphasise the importance of adopting inclusive and gender-sensitive research approaches to ensure that mental health research and practice genuinely represent the diverse experiences of all individuals.