Are gender traits and stereotypes associated with stress and burnout among midlife women?

Abstract

Women experience greater stress and burnout compared to men, particularly at midlife, when gender role expectations may contribute to experiencing stress and burnout. To date, researchers have not empirically examined the associations between gender traits and stereotypes, stress, and burnout among midlife women. Gendered traits and stereotypes were assessed via self-reported questionnaires, along with perceived stress and burnout. Data were collected from 301 women ages 40 to 65 in the United States and United Kingdom via an online survey in 2018. Results indicated that for gender traits, stronger feminine traits were associated with lower work-related burnout, and stronger personal masculine traits were associated with lower stress and lower personal burnout. Social masculine traits were positively associated with personal burnout. Furthermore, stress mediated the associations between femininity and personal masculinity and burnout, such that lower scores on both feminine traits and personal masculine traits were associated with higher stress, and this was in turn associated with greater burnout in both personal and work domains. Results indicate that specific positive aspects of personal gender traits, both masculine (e.g. strength in beliefs, conviction), and feminine (e.g., connection, warmth) were associated with lower stress and lower burnout, and these traits may reduce risk for stress and burnout.