The goal of this work is to examine the differential impact that carrying out nursing tasks may have on the health of male nurses who perform their work in female-dominated occupation, and the modulating effect of their conformity to male gender norms. Our study includes 98 male nurses and 98 female nurses, from the University Hospital of Getafe, (in Madrid). The participants completed sociodemographic questionnaire, physical health and Self-perceived Job Satisfaction questionnaires, the GHQ-12, and the Conformity to Gender Norms Questionnaires (CMNI). In general, the male nurses enjoy better health than the female nurses in the variables analyzed. With regard to conformity to masculine gender norms, they show lower conformity to the traditional masculine gender norms than men from the general population. However, the relation of the studied health variables with conformity to masculine gender norms shows classic pattern of habitual health in the men.

Itching is common to many skin disorders. The relationship between skin disease and psychological variables has been widely documented in the literature. The association between the exacerbation of skin lesions and increased levels of psychopathological conditions in response to stressful events has also been described. Lichen Simplex Chronicus (LSC) is a skin disorder characterized by itching, which seems to have a marked psychological component. However, examples of empirical evidence linking this skin disorder to personality variables, as measured by standardized personality questionnaires, are relatively few so far. The objective of this research was to investigate the involvement of certain personality variables in the development of LSC. The personality profiles of 60 patients with LSC were compared to a normative sample of the normal Spanish population, who were free of any kind of skin disease. The personality variables for the LSC group were obtained by administering the Millon Index of Personality Styles (MIPS). Participants with LSC presented personality characteristics that differed from the control group. The most significant variables were as follows: greater tendency to pain-avoidance, greater dependency on other peoples' desires, and more conforming and dutiful compared to the control group. Results are discussed in the light of other dermatological pathologies that might share some characteristics with LSC subjects. Lichen simplex chronicus patients may present differential personality characteristics that could be related to triggering and exacerbating skin lesions. Therefore, it is relevant to evaluate the personality profiles of these people to increase treatment efficiency.

At present there is still controversy about the relationship between emotional stress and psoriasis lesions. Most of the published literature does not include the broad spectrum of emotional response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between skin lesions and emotional state in a large sample of patients with psoriasis. 823 psoriasis patients were recruited (mean age 45.9 years, 55.7% female) and answered two online questionnaires: lesion severity and current extension were evaluated using a self-administered psoriasis severity index (SAPASI); emotional state was assessed using the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS). Second order factors were calculated and correlated with the SAPASI. We found positive associations between the extent and severity of skin lesions and the negative and submissive emotions, a negative correlation with dominance emotions and no association with positive emotions. Our data supports the relationship between emotions and skin lesions. It also allows for discrimination of the associations between psoriasis lesions and the specific type of emotions.

Background: The purpose of this work was to examine the sociodemographic, psychological, and health-related factors (considered jointly) associated with poor mental health in midlife and to analyze whether risk and protective factors differed in men and women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a middle-class sample of 252 women and 189 men between 45 and 65 years of age from Spanish rural areas. Mental health status was measured with the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12; Goldberg & Williams, 1988). Multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios with confidence intervals of 95%, adjusting for confounding variables. Results: The percentage of women (14.3%) with poor mental health was twice that of the men (7.4%). In women, the following variables were significantly and positively related to poor mental health: consumption of psychoactive drugs, physiological and cognitive anxiety; self-esteem and family satisfaction were protective factors. For men, physical complaints and cognitive anxiety were significant risk factors, and job satisfaction was a protective factor. Conclusions: In general, the psychological variables were more clearly related to poor mental health. Women had a more unfavorable profile, and the variables related to poor mental health differed for men and women, perhaps due to social roles associated with gender. To facilitate diagnosis and take preventive measures, men's and women's risk factors for poor mental health should be differentiated.

The association between creativity and psychopathology has, for decades, been a focus of heated debate fuelled by contradictory findings. Nevertheless, the findings suggest complex associations between creativity and psychopathology. Other studies have investigated the association between creativity and sex, with inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of sex on the association between creativity and psychopathology. In total, 106 participants (37 men and 69 women) were administered the Symptom Check List (SCL90-R) and the CREA test of creativity. There were no significant associations in the total sample between the variable creativity and the psychopathology scales. Strikingly, when the sample was divided by gender, a moderate-to-high significant positive association between creativity and psychopathology was found among men. Previously, the associations between creativity and gender and between creativity and psychopathology were studied in relative isolation from each other, rather than together as the main focus of research. Our results suggest that the complex associations between psychopathology and creativity differ between men and women.