Masculinity and psychological adjustment in men living with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This pre-registered systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the relationship between masculinity and psychological adjustment outcomes among men with prostate cancer by synthesising the current quantitative evidence.

Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and CINAHL Plus were systematically searched. We performed primary meta-analyses, moderator analyses, quality assessment and publication bias analyses.

22 studies involving 6614 participants were included. More positive self-appraisal of masculine identity was strongly associated with greater positive adjustment outcomes (Z = .68, SE = .06, p < .001) and less negative outcomes (Z = -0.62, SE = .15, p < .001). Conformity to masculine norms, on the other hand, showed no significant relationship with either positive adjustment (Z = -0.07, SE = .09, p = .25) or psychological distress (Z = .04, SE = .05, p = .38). Narrative synthesis suggested that masculine threat or loss consistently associated with poorer adjustment.

Masculinity plays a critical role in the psychological adjustment of men with prostate cancer. Tailored interventions should be developed and implemented to improve men's sense of masculinity following prostate cancer. This may be achieved by facilitating men's cognitive reappraisal of masculine beliefs and values in the context of prostate cancer.