Gender differences in distress: Are we asking all the right questions?

This article presents an explanatory framework for understanding women's workplace distress based on a literature review that emphasizes the sex differences in distress reports. The explanatory variables include stressors, personality disposition factors, and coping mechanisms. These variables are used to explain the differential reports of distress between men and women. We also suggest a reframing of the distress question complimentary to current research. Virtually all of the ''gender'' stress/distress literature takes an intergroup perspective, considering the differences between females and males. After reviewing this literature and presenting an explanatory framework to help understand women's workplace distress, we suggest adding an intragroup perspective that emphasizes the study of different categories of women, thus breaking the implicit assumption that all women's experiences are the same.