People who identify as incels have higher rates of self-reported mental health problems than the general male population, according to a new study published in . Behavioral Science of Terrorism and Political Aggression. However, the study shows that incels tend to distrust mental health professionals despite rising psychotic symptoms.
Incels are a subculture that mostly consists of young men who are frustrated by their inability to form romantic or sexual relationships. Most incels are non-violent, but some discussions within the community include suicide, self-harm, and glorification of acts of violence committed by others in the name of inseldom. Incel ideology has been linked to several mass murders and deaths since 2014.
The authors of the new study were interested in better understanding the mental health of incels. This may help identify effective mental health interventions that address the unique challenges faced by incels and potentially reduce the risk of self-harm and violent radicalization.
“We wanted to know more about involuntary singles.” [incels] Given its increasing frequency of mention in the media and popular culture,” explained study author Molly Ellenberg, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Maryland.
“There has been a lot of research around the psychology of radicalization, and there are many, not just sensational, questions about whether individuals who have committed horrific crimes in the name of a particular ideology are ‘crazy’. There is extensive research showing that most people who commit terrorism are not diagnosed with a mental disorder, but the rate of receiving such a diagnosis is lower than that of group-based terrorists. is likely to be higher.”
“The purpose of this study is not only because some self-proclaimed incels are involved in misogyny criminal behavior, but also because their population is so large that they are characterized by: and self-reported diagnoses of loneliness and isolation, interacting primarily online and thus influenced by extreme ideologies and justifications for violence against themselves and others. It could be easier.”
To collect the data, the researchers designed a questionnaire using Google Forms. They worked with owners of large incel forums and engaged in preliminary interactions with some incels to gain insight into their community’s experiences and concerns. They also reviewed the existing literature on insex and mental health.
The survey consists of 68 questions covering various topics. These include the participant’s social life, personal experiences, incel ideological adherence, perceptions of incel-related violence, endorsement of violent behavior, demographic information, and perceived psychological characteristics and symptoms.
The survey was distributed by the owners to active members of the incel forums and invited adult forum members who identified themselves as incels to participate. The survey was available online from December 7, 2020 to January 2, 2021. Participants were required to provide informed consent before responding to the survey. The final sample included 272 of her.
The study results show that participants reported significantly higher mental health diagnosis rates compared to the global diagnosis rates reported by the World Health Organization (WHO). For example, his 3.6 percent of men worldwide have been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, while his 38.6 percent of survey respondents reported being diagnosed with depression.
Similarly, 2.6 percent of men have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, while 37.13 percent of survey respondents support obtaining a formal anxiety disorder diagnosis. The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder for the respondent was 18.38 percent, and he had a global prevalence of 0.62 percent.
A significant proportion of participants also reported suicidal ideation, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, symptoms of bipolar disorder, and substance abuse.
Interestingly, participants expressed their willingness to seek help in areas such as physical appearance, improving social skills, and maximizing attractiveness. However, they were skeptical of traditional mental health therapies and believed their challenges were primarily physical rather than psychological.
About half (51.5 percent) of the study participants had tried treatment. However, their treatment experience was not positive. Of those who tried treatment, only 10.7 percent felt better, the majority (64.3 percent) felt no change, and 25 percent felt worse. More than half (51.1%) felt that professionals were blaming them for their insexuality without understanding the social factors involved.
“What our research can teach the public about the complex mix of mental symptoms self-proclaimed incels feel they are experiencing and their perceptions of the inability to help mental health professionals. I hope,” Ellenberg told Cypost. “Among the self-proclaimed incels, a small but significant minority hold violent extremist beliefs that should not be ignored.”
“At the same time, these people seem to be experiencing symptoms such as depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, and they distrust mental health professionals. It means we only want other incels who may encourage self-harm, suicide, or acts of violence against others as a means of coping with suffering.”
Survey participants dealt with challenges by participating in incel web forums, and this was the most frequently reported coping strategy. However, the findings also show that attending these forums without professional support is associated with increased depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and self-harm, which can adversely affect participants’ mental health. I have also shown that it is viable. Other common coping strategies included participation in media entertainment such as video games, pornography consumption, social media use, and interest in food.
“We weren’t necessarily surprised by the results of this study, but rather many of these mostly young men could potentially seek psychological treatment if they felt that their circumstances were not to blame. I was struck by how sexual it looked,” Ellenberg said. . “Of course, it is important to address the dangerous and false beliefs that blame women and Western society in general for experiences of loneliness and rejection, but this study also shows that violence is not an inevitable part of the incel experience. We need to be clear: Mental health treatment could be offered online and could be very helpful for many people in this community.”
However, like all other studies, this study contains some limitations. For example, mental health challenges and diagnoses were self-reported by participants and not measured through validated assessments.
“The main caveat is that all these symptoms and disorders were self-reported by the respondents and not measured using psychometrically validated scales,” Ellenberg said. explained Mr. “Thus, none of the results should be taken as the actual prevalence of the symptoms, but rather that the respondents feel they are experiencing, based on their own understanding of what the symptoms are. It reflects what is happening.”
“We knew that this community distrusted mental health professionals, so we asked the questions in this way rather than using psychometrically validated scales. will provide more objective symptoms and diagnostic rates than those presented in our article.”
“If you want to learn more about the differences between self-proclaimed incels with violent ideologies and those who don’t, check out our new paper. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-77261-001added the researchers.
the study, “Proportions of Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Perceived Psychiatric Symptoms Among Insels and Their Perceptions of Mental Health TreatmentThe authors of Ann Spechard and Molly Ellenberg.
