Men who think they may lose their jobs become more depressed and stressed than women in the same situation, according to new findings from Cambridge University that suggest the credit crunch may prove easier on women.

This anxiety reflected males’ “macho” belief about “men being the breadwinner”, said Brendan Burchell, the Cambridge sociologist who carried out the research. “Men, unlike women, have few positive ways of defining themselves outside of the workplace between when they leave school and when they retire,” he said.