Key takeaways from our paper:

1️⃣ First model linking masculinity, alexithymia & emotion regulation
2️⃣ Emotional restriction/self-reliance predict mental health difficulties
3️⃣ Gender-responsive therapy could target these pathways

Our integrative model — the first to combine 3 key frameworks — shows how:

Masculine norms → Alexithymia → Emotion regulation difficulties → Internalizing problems

“Be strong.” “Don’t cry.” “Handle it yourself.”

These norms of emotional restriction and self-reliance can make it harder for men to identify and manage feelings — feeding into cycles of anxiety and depression.

We know emotion regulation difficulties are a transdiagnostic risk for anxiety and depression. 🧠😕

But to regulate emotions, we first need to recognize and label them — something many men struggle with, known as alexithymia.

Why? Socialization. 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

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Thanks so much for sharing!

Thank you so much for sharing!

Thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks so much! I am glad to hear you like it :)

As fas as I know (and I also did another quick search), there is unfortunately no research on this topic yet. There’s some on medical trauma in adults, but I haven’t seen any on childhood medical trauma.

Thanks so much for sharing 🤩

Thank you so much, @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social :)

It was an honor to lead this project as first author.
Thanks to my wonderful co-authors Christian Woll, Clara Burger, Alisa Ernst, Ilka Böhm, @alzietlow.bsky.social & @susangarth.bsky.social for their support and expertise! 🫰

Full paper: rdcu.be/eu8bo

Our conclusions:

Emotional abuse and neglect can shape how safe and “at home” we feel in our own bodies.

These forms of trauma deserve more attention — in public discourse, clinical care, and prevention efforts. 🏥🏫💬

Why does this matter?

Low body trust can interfere with:
- Emotion regulation
- Identifying personal needs
- Processing stress

This may help explain why survivors of emotional trauma are at higher risk for anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. 🙍‍♀️

Our main finding:

🫀💭 People who experienced emotional abuse or emotional neglect in childhood tend to report lower trust in their bodily signals — a key part of interoception.