Socio-Cognitive Factors in Midlife Health Anxiety: Assessing the Roles of Social Support, Gender Beliefs, and Self-Attitudes

Health anxiety is a significant concern among midlife professionals, particularly in high-stress fields such as mental health practice. This study examined the relationships between perceived social support, gender role beliefs, self-attitude, and health anxiety among 150 Filipino licensed mental health professionals using a quantitative correlational design. Participants completed standardized psychometric instruments, including the Short Health Anxiety Inventory and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Pearson correlation analyses indicated that perceived social support was not significantly associated with health anxiety (r = .05, p = .546), whereas gender role beliefs demonstrated a weak, positive, significant correlation (r = .27, p < .001), and attitude toward self showed a moderate positive, significant correlation (r = .48, p < .001). These results suggest that internal cognitive factors, particularly self-attitude and evolving gender role beliefs, are more strongly linked to health anxiety than external social support. The findings highlight the importance of addressing cognitive and identity-related processes in interventions for midlife mental health professionals, rather than relying solely on social support mechanisms. Strategies focused on self-attitude modification and the negotiation of gender role expectations may enhance emotional resilience and reduce health-related fears in this population. By emphasizing the cognitive determinants of health anxiety, mental health organizations can develop targeted approaches to promote well-being and adaptive coping among midlife professionals facing age-related and occupational stressors.