SOCIAL REPRESENTATION OF FEMININITY IN ME NTAL-HEALTH PROFESSIONALS -POSSIBLE INFLUENCES ON CLINICAL-WORK

The present study explored mental health professionals a social repres entation of feminity and masculinity, and if this representation influ ences their diagnosis and treatment plans. The sample included 70 fema le and male mental health Spanish-speaking professionals of different therapeutic orientations (psychoanalysts, rogerians and behaviorists) and countries. Their professional experience averaged 10 years. A free association technique was used to create a semantic differential. A c linical test was used to support the definitions of categories and fin ally, a multiple choice questionnaire was administered to explore the defined categories. Results show that the sample resembled a funcional psychosocial model. Their affective disposition is tied to traditiona l stereotypes of femininity and masculinity. Significant differences b etween the stimuli studied were found: professionsl tended to diagnose according to sexual role of patient; gender role also influenced symp tomatology of patient. No significant differences were found in terms of social representation by comparing sex, nationality or clinical ori entation.