Addressing Stigma and Help-Seeking Barriers for Men

Abstract

When seeking care for mental health challenges, it is common for men to encounter emotional obstacles and self-stigma. Men are often reluctant to express their vulnerability or ask for help because of rigid cultural gender stereotypes. As a result, it has become common for men to postpone or avoid getting help, even when circumstances require it. To improve the rates and results of men seeking care, stigmas must be actively addressed, as well as ideas about masculinity. Through the lenses of key theories including feminist theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the health belief model, this chapter will examine the distinct stigma that males experience in relation to seeking help. The chapter will also explore how traditional masculine ideals of toughness, independence, and avoidance of femininity along with practical concerns such as money and time can discourage men from seeking assistance, therefore creating barriers to receiving physical and mental health care. Above all, men's lower rates of seeking medical and mental healthcare will manifest the magnitude of the issue.