Beliefs about Precarious Manhood and Psychological Distress among Adult Men in Pakistani Context: Mediating Role of Body Dissatisfaction

Beliefs about precarious manhood is a notion stating that manhood is a socially acquired status that needs to be continuously earned and defended because it can be seized. The current quantitative study employed a correlational research design to investigate the relationship among perceptions about precarious manhood, body dissatisfaction, and psychological distress among adult men through the mediating role of body dissatisfaction. This study aimed to provide insights into how men's mental health and body image are influenced by their ideas about masculinity.  The data was collected from 200 adult men using a convenience sampling strategy. To collect the data, scales, including Precarious Manhood Beliefs Scale (PMBS), Body Parts Satisfaction Scale for Men (BPSS-M), and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) were used. It was found that beliefs about precarious manhood were significantly positively correlated with psychological distress among adult men, suggesting that perceptions of masculinity can contribute to emotional strain. Moreover, body dissatisfaction partially mediated this relationship, suggesting that dissatisfaction with physical appearance plays a key role in amplifying the psychological impact of these beliefs. Future research should focus on specific body image factors such as muscularity, fat ratio, and leanness in relation to precarious manhood, while practitioners and policymakers should address how societal gender norms impact men’s mental health and body image.