Roles of Perceived Sexist Events and Perceived Social Support in the Mental Health of Women Seeking Counseling.
The authors of the present study contribute to research on the role of sexist events in women’s mental health by examining the sexism–distress relation (a) with a sample of women who are seeking mental health services and (b) in the context of the additional roles of perceived social support in positive self-appraisal (i.e., empowerment and self-esteem) and psychological distress. A path analysis was conducted with data from 157 women who were seeking counseling services. Results supported the generalizability of previously observed links between the frequency of perceived sexist events and psychological distress. Results also indicated that the sexism–distress link was significant in the context of an additional significant indirect relation of perceived social support with psychological distress, which was mediated through empowerment but not through self-esteem. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.