Relationship between Assumed Differential Socialization and Emotional Disorders in Women: A Form of Covert Social Violence

Abstract

Women suffer different forms of violence, both explicit and covert, due to gender asymmetry. This study analyzes the relationship between the internalization of norms assigned to the female gender understood as a form of covert social violence and the presence of anxiety and depression. 286 women were evaluated with the Inventory of Concealed Social Violence (IVISEM) to measure the internalization of gender norms, the Inventory of Situations and Responses to Anxiety (ISRA), to measure anxiety, and the Three-Dimensional Depression Questionnaire (CTD) to measure depression. In addition, the possible influence of some variables such as maternity, age and marital status on the internalization of norms and on the presence of emotional alterations is discussed. The findings showed the relationship between IVISEM factors and the seven health indicators measured. Age appeared as a modulating variable in relation to cognitive anxiety and depression and marital status is related to all depression factors. The results show that women's internalization of gender norms can be understood as hidden social violence, since it was associated with high scores in anxiety and depression.