Gender differences in empowerment and depression among military newcomers in Taiwan: A longitudinal analysis and implications for social work practice

Abstract Integrating broaden-and-build theory and the scar model, this study employs a three-year longitudinal design to investigate the reciprocal dynamics between empowerment and depressive symptoms among Taiwanese military newcomers (N = 899) during early adulthood. Cross-lagged panel analysis reveals a significant reciprocal relationship in the aggregate model. However, gender-specific subsamples demonstrate distinct pathways: male recruits exhibit bidirectional effects, supporting both theoretical models, whereas female recruits show a unidirectional protective path from empowerment to subsequent depressive symptoms. Notably, early psychological distress does not significantly erode later empowerment for females, despite a larger observed effect size in empowerment’s protective role compared to males. These patterns suggest that empowerment may operate through gendered psychological mechanisms rather than symmetrical feedback loops within hierarchical systems. The findings highlight a gendered “internalized anchoring” of empowerment within total institutions, refining accumulative assumptions in empowerment theory and informing multi-level, gender-sensitive social work interventions aimed at strengthening resilience in highly regulated organizational environments.