Relationship between Perceived Misogyny and Psychological Distress: The Mediating Role of Self-Silencing among Women.

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between perceived misogyny and psychological distress among women, with self-silencing as a mediating variable. The study was grounded in the view that women’s exposure to misogynistic attitudes and experiences may contribute to emotional suffering, particularly when they suppress their own thoughts, feelings, and needs in order to maintain social harmony or avoid conflict. The main objective of the research was to explore whether self-silencing explains the association between perceived misogyny and psychological distress. The study was conducted on a sample of 200 women from Jammu. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected using standardized measures of perceived misogyny, self-silencing, and psychological distress. The findings indicated that perceived misogyny was significantly associated with self-silencing, and self-silencing was in turn significantly related to psychological distress. Mediation analysis further showed that selfsilencing played a significant mediating role in the relationship between perceived misogyny and psychological distress. These results suggest that the psychological impact of misogyny may be intensified when women respond by silencing themselves. The study highlights the importance of addressing both external experiences of gender-based devaluation and internal coping patterns that may increase vulnerability to distress. The findings have important implications for mental health practice, particularly in relation to interventions aimed at promoting self-expression, reducing self-silencing, and supporting women’s psychological well-being. The study also enhance the understanding of gender, coping, and mental health by emphasizing self-silencing as a key psychological mechanism in the context of perceived misogyny.