Sexist Events and Its Impact on Depression in Women

Abstract

The author of the present study contributes to research on the role of sexism in women’s health by examining how sexist events and benevolent sexist beliefs impact levels of depression in women. A questionnaire comprised of The Schedule of Sexist Events (SSE), Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to 76 female students at a private, Christian university. Bivariate correlations were conducted. The results found a positive correlation between reported sexist events and levels of depression. There were no correlations between sexist beliefs, depression levels, and reporting sexist events. The results of the research supported previous studies that stated that sexism negatively impacts mental health. Further implications, limitations, and need for future research were discussed.