Social Discrimination and Psychological Distress Across Gender: The Effects of Social Support and Resilience

AIMS: Despite social changes that have contributed to greater gender equality, there is still a long way to go, as differences in living conditions between women and men can affect their mental health. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationships among psychological distress, social discrimination, perceived social support, and resilience by gender. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study with 752 participants aged 18 to 84 years (M = 39.34; SD = 13.77). The tools used included the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Portuguese Everyday Discrimination Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. RESULTS: We identified a strong correlation between psychological distress and social discrimination (r = .642, p < .01), and a moderate link between resilience and perceived social support (r = .417, p < .01). Women make up 95% of those reporting gender as a reason for discrimination. In the linear regression analysis, gender was significant, with women showing higher psychological distress after adjustment. Men also showed higher levels of social discrimination and resilience when groups were compared. DISCUSSION: These findings suggest that, despite differences in living conditions, men and women use distinct coping mechanisms for adversity, and these mechanisms do not follow a linear pattern. The results emphasize the value of a gender-sensitive approach when analyzing mental health, one that considers how multiple social identities may shape distress. Research in this field is crucial for public policies to address and promote gender equality, which, although improved, remains an ongoing challenge.