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Men's mental health: Spaces and places that work for men
... In addition, one of the important findings of this study is that men perceive that mental illness is not for them. A plausible explanation is the effect of the "ideas of masculinity" (Ogrodniczuk et al., 2016) in Bangladeshi society. Cultural norm teaches men that they are strong, and people consider them weak if they cry or express emotions. ...
This study investigates the stigma against people with mental illness in Bangladesh through in-depth interviews with 14 patients and 9 healthcare professionals, and 33 focus group discussions with people without mental illness. The research has delved into the understanding of different types of stigma against mental illness in the context of Bangladesh. The findings revealed four types of stigma which were categorized into four themes namely self-stigma, public stigma, professional, and institutional stigma. Patients had internalized negative attitudes, thereby discriminated toward themselves. The public discriminated against patients because of believing in prejudices against them. Other health professionals had negative conceptions toward patients, and they devalued mental health professionals (MHPs). A culture of negative attitude and belief had emerged in institutional settings which encouraged discrimination. Policymakers and healthcare professionals can use the findings to develop a mental health service by addressing the stigma. Mental health practitioners can assess the impact of stigma to improve the mental well-being of their patients. Students and workplace staff will benefit from intentional or unintentional discrimination in educational institutions and workplace settings by addressing the effects of stigma. Importantly, other health care providers will be aware of their thoughts against patients and MHPs.
... They lend support to tackling loneliness by addressing men's needs for social support and community (J. Ogrodniczuk, et al., 2016). Malespecific social interventions (e.g., Men's Sheds) have garnered increasing attention, reporting high engagement, retention, and positive mental health outcomes (Milligan et al., 2016;Seidler et al., 2018aSeidler et al., , 2018b. ...
Loneliness and its association with poor mental health has been described as a growing problem within modern western societies, particularly among men. The available evidence is, however, characterized by methodological and sample heterogeneity. The current meta-analysis aimed to determine study-level moderators most likely to yield significant associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, distress, or suicidal ideation among a community sample of men. Nineteen observational studies, representing 27,523 males, primarily from western countries, were identified from Embase, APA PsycInfo, Medline, and Google Scholar (no date limits) in addition to Scopus citation searching. Studies were evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Pearson’s r effect sizes were pooled using random and mixed-effects modeling. The summary effect was large and not affected by the sampling method, mean age, sample size, or publication date. Effect estimates did, however, vary depending on the recruitment source. Loneliness poses a serious threat to men’s mental health. Future research can build on this evidence base with more conceptual work and by recruiting diverse samples to better understand the personal and contextual issues that lead to men’s loneliness (PROSPERO CRD42023432416).
... One way to balance the requirements of helplines with the needs of solution-focused male callers may be through increasing helplines' databases of male-sensitised support services for referrals. Specifically, including knowledge of informal supports such as men's community groups and activity-based avenues rather than solely focusing on medical or mental health services might be beneficial, as research indicates many men prefer informal supports [38]. ...
Background
Crisis telephone helplines are an integral part of community suicide prevention. Despite high male suicide rates, men’s experiences of these services are poorly understood. The current study explored men’s perspectives of their interactions with helpline counsellors to understand how their engagement on helplines can be enhanced.
Method
Sixteen men (19–71 years) who had previously used a mental health or crisis helpline in Australia completed individual semi-structured interviews about their experiences. Data were analysed using interpretive descriptive methodologies.
Results
Two themes derived from the data related to how men engaged with counsellors on helpline services. First, men emphasized the importance of helpline counsellors creating and maintaining an authentic connection across the call, providing suggestions for strategies to secure connection. Second, men discussed how counsellors can facilitate outcomes through offering space for their narratives and aiding in referrals to other support services when required.
Conclusions
Findings highlight the value of crisis helplines for men’s suicide prevention services while identifying target areas to improve engagement. We discuss implications for the findings including suggestions for gender-sensitive care within crisis helplines.
... When experiencing mental distress, male university students were less likely to seek help, receive professional treatment, or receive social support from family and friends in comparison to female students (Eisenberg et al., 2007(Eisenberg et al., , 2011. Gender differences in help-seeking behavior may relate to norms of male masculinity perpetuating the stereotype that helpseeking is for the weak (Ogrodniczuk et al., 2016), and may be further exacerbated by the stigma associated with mental illness (DeBate et al., 2018). Together, these findings suggest that male university students may benefit from the development of health management skills such as help-seeking and social supports, which are important for improving their mental health. ...
Hong Kong university students suffer a high prevalence of mental distress, yet their lifestyle behaviors are not well-understood. We aimed to examine the relationship between mental distress, lifestyle behaviors, and problematic Internet use of this population during the summer holiday and term-time. A two-cohort contrast group survey study was conducted. Students were surveyed in July during the summer holiday and September during term-time. The General Health Questionnaire-12, Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II, and Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 were administered to measure mental distress, lifestyle behaviors, and problematic Internet use. 949 students (summer=467; term-time=482; Mage±SD, 20.11±1.54) participated in the study. Students reported significantly lower mental distress and higher spiritual growth during the summer holiday compared to term-time. Structural Equation Modelling revealed that spiritual growth was directly associated with reduced mental distress and problematic Internet use, and indirectly associated with reduced mental distress through a negative correlation with problematic Internet use. Problematic Internet use was positively correlated with mental distress. Physical activity was more associated with improved mental health during the summer holiday and for female students. In contrast, health management was associated with better mental health during term-time and for male students. In conclusion, spiritual growth supports mental health improvement and counters problematic Internet use in university students in general, while factors such as physical activity and health management show differential influences based on gender and time of year. Findings from this study have implications for the development of student support workshops in higher education.
... A cornerstone to men's mental health promotion is social connectedness and norming help-seeking behaviours (Griffith, Bruce, and Thorpe Jr 2019). In particular, encouraging men's social connection through informal avenues, including community-based men's mental health programs has been identified as an important strategy for advancing the mental health of men and their families (Ogrodniczuk et al., 2016). That said, it is often within these spaces that normative masculine cultures are upheld and perpetuated (Connell 2005). ...
Masculinities and culture are intertwined and have significant implications for men’s mental health. This study aimed to explore influences of Australian masculinities and culture on men’s mental health. Five focus groups were conducted with men ( N = 43) living in New South Wales, Australia. Three overarching themes were identified; (1) A history of strength and self-reliance: taketh as we are, she’ll be right, (2) Social and geographical divides: surrounded by men but never actually connecting, and (3) Male socialisation and generational dissidence: not getting the wisdom from the men that have gone before me. Participants’ perspectives and experiences offer a reference point and lens for understanding challenges and enhancing efforts to promote Australian men’s mental health. Gender transformative program strategies are proposed to promote men’s mental health and norm help-seeking.
... Canadian men have high suicide rates, low rates of depression diagnosis, and poor mental health service engagement. The proper use of mental health services can decrease the negative impacts of mental health problems (Ogrodniczuk et al., 2016). Out of 24,607,300 Canadians, 12,713,600 males older than 12 years of age perceive no need for mental healthcare, despite the fact that suffering from depression in the early stages of life leads to manifestations of anger, aggressiveness, and risk-taking behaviors in subsequent years (Statistics Canada, 2019). ...
Background
This article reports an evaluative replication study, including a workshop inspired by Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy. Purpose: Assess how the nursing students’ participation in critiquing Canadian empirical evidence on men's health literacy provokes new perceptions; explore students’ intentions of incorporating the aforementioned contents into their professional practice; and test students’ skills to formulate a hypothetical short action plan about men's health literacy.
Methods
A qualitative evaluation study inspired by the qualitative program evaluation approach. The setting was a university-based Canadian undergraduate nursing program located in a major metropolitan city. Seventeen undergraduate students (representing 3.65% of year 4 student population) composed the sample. The educational intervention was two workshops (6 h duration; February 2017) including a lecture about men's health literacy with video presentations, class discussions and group work using Freire's method of reflection and discussion for awareness awakening. Hypothetical health literacy promotion was the key outcome. All interactions were digitally audiorecorded, verbatim transcribed and submitted to thematic analysis having as themes: Perspectives of awareness and knowledge expansion, and New personal-professional assets.
Results
Students were able to relate new knowledge with their own experiences in the classroom or in the practicum. Application of new knowledge was related to students’ social circles and reported familiar health matters. Cultural and community life shaped knowledge expansion and references to men's behaviors.
Conclusions
Mobilization of personal knowledge awoke students’ awareness about gaps in the nursing curriculum and the paucity of experiences in clinical placements relating to men's health literacy.
... 9 When potential indicators of poor mental health (eg, aggressiveness, hostility) are left unnoticed and untreated, men may suffer from hopelessness and isolation. 10 Furthermore, male gender norming, adherence to maladaptive masculine expectations (eg, discouraging emotional expression), and narrow definitions of masculinity are known to contribute to the distinct health risk profile of young men. 9,11 Social disconnection has been identified as a key indicator of marginalized groups of young males. ...
Purpose
We examined the intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and societal correlates of a structural indicator of social connectedness (ie, social isolation) among a sample of young adult U.S. males
Design
Cross-sectional. Setting: Online survey.
Subjects
Males (n = 495) aged 18-25 years residing in the U.S.
Measures
Social isolation was assessed as an index measure of social integration (inverse scored). The correlates consisted of the following variables: 1) intrapersonal (eg, social-demographic characteristics), 2) interpersonal (eg, adverse childhood experiences; marital status), 3) community (eg, county-level mental distress rates), and 4) societal (eg, how powerful is society’s image of the ‘masculine man’).
Analysis
Four-block hierarchical regression.
Results
The intra- and interpersonal variables significantly shared 17% and an incremental 5%, respectively, of the explained variance in social isolation. Several intra- (eg, financial vulnerability β = -2.76, [95% CI: -4.40, -1.13]) and inter-personal (ie, childhood household dysfunction β = -.66, [95% CI: -1.18, -.14]) factors were significantly associated with greater social isolation. Four intrapersonal factors (eg, gay or bisexual β = 2.31, [95% CI: .29, 4.33]) were significantly associated with lower social isolation.
Conclusions
The current study’s findings have important implications for understanding and shaping social connectedness in young adult U.S. males, with micro-level influences potentially being most important in predicting social isolation in this population.
... In contrast, males focus more on the group (Hoza et al., 2000), where there is no space to share concerns. These differences are often related to masculinity (ideals and rules about what it means to be a man), manifested as difficulty in expressing their needs (Wide et al., 2011), a tendency to solve problems independently (Roy et al., 2017), and being less likely to request psychological support through services (Ogrodniczuk et al., 2016). These traits could influence the way loneliness affects older people differently depending on their sex. ...
Loneliness is a complex and uncomfortable feeling that results from the perception of a lack of desired personal and social ties. Loneliness is accentuated with aging. It has been related to a wide range of objective and subjective health indicators and is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality. One of the proposed underlying mechanisms through which loneliness affects health is the dysregulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. However, the relationship between loneliness and cortisol, the main product of the HPA axis, is unclear and requires more research. The aims of this cross-sectional study were to investigate the relationships between loneliness, subjective health, and cortisol indexes, taking the sex into account, and investigate whether the HPA axis mediates the relationship between loneliness and subjective health. For this purpose, 79 participants (between 55 and 75 years old) completed several scales on loneliness, depression, perceived stress, psychological and physical health, and social relationships. Various salivary cortisol measurements were obtained on two consecutive days. The initial results showed that loneliness was related to psychological and physical health in the mixed-sex sample. However, when covariates were introduced, loneliness was only associated with psychological health in males. In addition, the cortisol indexes employed were not related to loneliness and did not mediate the relationship between loneliness and subjective health. Hence, we did not find a relevant role of the HPA axis in the association between loneliness and subjective health. More severe perceptions of loneliness would probably be necessary to detect this role. Overall, these results also show that the expected negative outcomes of loneliness associated with aging can be countered by an active life that can compensate for the natural losses experienced with age or at least delay these negative outcomes. Finally, some sex differences were found, in line with other studies, which warrants further examination of social variables and dimensions related to gender in future research.
Over the past three decades, there has been a disproportionate increase in premature deaths among young Black Males (YMBs) in the US. This devastating trend has been largely driven by suicide in YBMs. Ecological and interpersonal psychological theories can be leveraged to understand the etiology of premature death in YBMs through both risk and protective factors. This cross-sectional study assessed the influence of depression, self-reliance, Ubuntu (a commonly noted feature of the Afrocentric worldview), and attitudes toward mental health help-seeking behaviors on suicidal ideation among YBMs.
Participants (n = 422) who were identified as male, Black American, or African American and aged 18–29 years old completed an online survey between June and July 2022. Ordinal logistic regression correctly classified 76.5% of cases and found a statistically significant difference between observed and expected values.
The odds of reporting suicidal ideation were higher among those with more symptoms of depression and self-reliance and lower among participants who reported more compassion compared to the reference group.
These findings suggest that compassion, an important aspect of Ubuntu, may have a protective effect against suicidal ideation, whereas high levels of depression and self-reliance may be linked to a greater vulnerability to suicidal ideation. As such, the current study recommends that interventions should reduce suicidal ideation and increase mental well-being among YBMs.
The goal of the current study is to add to the literature on masculinity and mental well-being by examining the role of help-seeking self-stigma as a potential mediating mechanism linking conformity to masculine norms to depression and stress among men. Findings with a community sample of 326 U.S. men (aged 18–75 years old) revealed that greater endorsement of masculine norms was associated with greater help-seeking self-stigma. Additionally, help-seeking self-stigma significantly linked endorsement of masculinity norms to perceived stress, but not to depression. This study furthers our understanding of how gender roles may uniquely shape men’s mental health experiences through creating barriers to seeking treatment.
Stigma in men's depression and suicide can restrict help-seeking, reduce treatment compliance and deter individuals from confiding in friends and family. In this article we report sex comparison findings from a national survey of English-speaking adult Canadians about stigmatized beliefs concerning male depression and suicide. Among respondents without direct experience of depression or suicide (n = 541) more than a third endorsed the view that men with depression are unpredictable. Overall, a greater proportion of males endorsed stigmatizing views about male depression compared to female respondents. A greater proportion of female respondents endorsed items indicating that men who suicide are disconnected, lost and lonely. Male and female respondents with direct personal experience of depression or suicide (n = 360) strongly endorsed stigmatizing attitudes toward themselves and a greater proportion of male respondents indicated that they would be embarrassed about seeking help for depression.
The high incidence of depression among older men has been linked to numerous factors. In this qualitative descriptive study of 30 older, Canadian-based men who experienced depression, we explored the connections between participants’ depression, masculinities, work, and retirement. Our analyses revealed three thematic findings. The recursive relationship between depression and work was reflected in depression impeding and emerging from paid work, whereby men’s careers and work achievements were negatively impacted by depression amid assertions that unfulfilling work could also invoke depression. Lost or unrealized empires highlighted the centrality of wealth accumulation and negative impact of many participants’ unfulfilled paid work aspirations. Retirement as loss and the therapeutic value of work reflected how masculine ideals influenced men to continue working to avoid the losses they associated with retirement. The findings confirm the need to support men’s work-related transitions by affirming a diversity of masculine identities beyond traditional workman/breadwinner roles.
Objective To examine the association between men's conformity to masculine norms and depression. Design Cross-sectional analysis. Setting University family practice clinic in Vancouver, BC. Participants Male patients, 19 years of age and older (N = 97). Main outcome measures The relationships among patients' scores on the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 depression subscale, Gotland Male Depression Scale, and Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, and whether or not patients were prompted to discuss emotional concerns with their physicians after completing these screening tests. Results Conformity to masculine norms was significantly associated with depression as assessed by the male depression screen (P = .039), but not with the screen that assessed typical depressive symptoms (P = .068). Men, regardless of their degree of masculinity or distress, overwhelmingly did not disclose emotional concerns to their physicians, even if the content of their distress involved suicidal thoughts. Conclusion Male depression screens might capture aspects of depression associated with masculine gender socialization that are not captured by typical measures of depression. Given the tendency of men to not disclose emotional distress to their family physicians, potentially high-risk cases could be missed without direct inquiry by clinicians.
Problem addressed In Canada, there are few health promotion programs for men, particularly programs focused on indigenous and other men marginalized by social and structural inequities. Objective of program To build solidarity and brotherhood among vulnerable men; to promote health through education, dialogue, and health screening clinics; and to help men regain a sense of pride and fulfilment in their lives. Program description The DUDES Club was established in 2010 as a community-based health promotion program for indigenous men in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver, BC. Between August 2014 and May 2015, 150 men completed an evaluation survey developed using a logic model approach. Responses were analyzed based on the 4 dimensions of the indigenous medicine wheel (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual). Evaluation results demonstrated high participant satisfaction and positive outcomes across all 4 dimensions of health and wellbeing: 90.6% of respondents indicated that the DUDES Club program improved their quality of life. Participants who attended meetings more often experienced greater physical, mental, and social benefits (P < .05). Conclusion Findings indicate that this innovative model is effective in promoting the well-being of mainly indigenous men through culturally safe services in an urban community.
Depression is an illness increasingly constructed as a gendered mood disorder and consequently diagnosed in women more than men. The diagnostic criteria used for its assessment often perpetrate and reproduce gender stereotypes. The stigma associated with mental illness and the gendered elements of depression suggest there are likely numerous discourses that position, explain, and justify help-seeking practices. This qualitative study explored men's discourses of seeking help for depression. The methodological approach was informed by a social constructionist perspective of language, discourse and gender that drew on methods from discourse analysis. We conducted individual in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 38 men with depression, either formally diagnosed or self reported. The analysis revealed five discursive frames that influenced the men's talk about help-seeking and depression: manly self-reliance; treatment-seeking as responsible independent action; guarded vulnerability; desperation; and genuine connection. The findings are discussed within a broader context of social discourses of gender, the limitations of current help-seeking literature and the evidence for how men seek help in ways that extend traditional notions of medical treatment.
Severe depression is a known risk factor for suicide, yet worldwide men's suicide rates continue to outnumber reported rates of men's depression. While acknowledging that the pathways to suicide are diverse, and being mindful of the complex challenges inherent to studying suicide, we interviewed men who experienced depression as a means to better understanding the processes they used to counter and contemplate suicide. This novel qualitative study provides insights on how masculine roles, identities and relations mediate depression-related suicidal ideation in a cohort of 38 men in Canada, ranging in age from 24 to 50 years-old. Constant comparative analyses yielded the core category of reconciling despair in which men responded to severe depression and suicidal ideation by following two pathways. To counter suicide actions, connecting with family, peers and health care professionals and/or drawing on religious and moral beliefs were important interim steps for quelling thoughts about suicide and eventually dislocating depression from self-harm. This pathway revealed how connecting with family through masculine protector and father roles enabled men to avoid suicide while positioning help-seeking as a wise, rational action in re-establishing self-control. The other pathway, contemplating escape, rendered men socially isolated and the overuse of alcohol and other drugs were often employed to relieve emotional, mental and physical pain. Rather than providing respite, these risky practices were the gateway to men's heightened vulnerability for nonfatal suicidal behaviour. Men on this pathway embodied solitary and/or risk taker identities synonymous with masculine ideals but juxtaposed nonfatal suicidal behaviours as feminine terrain.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Is depression in men overlooked? Science Fact or
Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Is depression in men overlooked? Science
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Mental health for men
- J Franek
Franek J. Mental health for men. AskMen 2015 Mar 28. Available from:
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