College-Age Men More Affected by Rocky Relationships

A new study from Wake Forest University shows that young men are more affected by problems in a relationship than young women are – and frequently self-medicate that anxiety with drugs or alcohol. This finding contrasts with research on previous generations, suggesting that young men are becoming more sensitive, or may be showing the long-term effects of parental divorce.

Young women were more affected by a break-up, while young men were more affected by turbulence within the relationship according to sociologist Robin Simon. It appears that the benefits of support within a relationship and the disadvantages of rocky periods were exaggerated for men.

Young women often have two or three close friends they can turn to for support when there is a strain in the relationship, said co-author Anne Barrett of Florida State University. Men are less likely to have such a support system in place.

The study demonstrates that men were as emotionally hurt by troubled phases of a relationship, but showed it differently than young women did. Data came from more than 1,000 young people of college age in south Florida. For men in the study, relationship problems were linked to higher scores on a substance abuse index, including drug abuse.

Sociologists Simon and Barrett note that this is a shift away from the way men have traditionally experienced relationships.

Dr. Simon said that males in the population tested were more likely to be the children of divorce, which could make them more sensitive to turbulence in a relationship. They might view relationships as more fragile than previous generations have. It is unclear if these results would extend to older men, or will continue as these young males age.

Other experts disagree about the reason for these changes. Author Audrey Nelson says that women are naturally more expressive than men. Women will cry or show their feelings, often talking the problem out with two or three close friends, usually female friends. Men usually do not have such support systems in place. For males, the benefits of being in a relationship are magnified – but so are the drawbacks of being in a difficult phase of a relationship.

By Joni Holderman, [email protected], contributing reporter for Mental Health News.