Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:910-912
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
Psychiatrists' beliefs about gender-appropriate behavior
MJ Kaplan, C Winget and N Free
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH.
Psychiatrists' beliefs regarding gender-appropriate behavior may influence
their treatment of patients. Psychiatrists of both sexes (men: N = 76;
women: N = 57) were asked to characterize optimal mental health for
hypothetical female and male patients on the Bem Sex Role Inventory. The
subjects' ratings for men and women were similar with two exceptions: more
of the female psychiatrists rated masculine traits as optimal for female
patients, and more male psychiatrists chose traits characteristic of Bem's
undifferentiated category (low levels of both masculine and feminine
traits) as optimal for both male and female patients. The results indicate
significant changes in psychiatrists' attitudes toward gender in the past
20 years.
