Critical Issues in Men’s Mental Health

Abstract

This narrative review highlights key issues in men's mental health and identifies approaches to research, policy and practice that respond to men's styles of coping. Issues discussed are: 1) the high incidence of male suicide (80% of suicide deaths in Canada, with a peak in the mid-50 s age group) accompanied by low public awareness; 2) the perplexing nature of male depression, manifesting in forms that are poorly recognised by current diagnostic approaches and thus poorly treated; 3) the risky use of alcohol among men, again common and taking a huge toll on mental and physical health; 4) the characteristic ways in which men manage psychological suffering, the coping strengths to be recognised, and the gaps to be addressed; 5) the underutilization of mental health services by men, and the implication for clinical outcomes; and 6) male-specific approaches to service provision designed to improve men's accessing of care, with an emphasis on Canadian programs. The main conclusion is that a high proportion of men in Western society have acquired psychological coping strategies that are often dysfunctional. There is a need for men to learn more adaptive coping approaches long before they reach a crisis point. Recommendations are made to address men's mental health through: healthcare policy that facilitates access; research on tailoring interventions to men; population-level initiatives to improve the capacity of men to cope with psychological distress; and clinical practice that is sensitive to the expression of mental health problems in men and that responds in a relevant manner.

Clueless: An ethnographic study of young men who participate in the seduction community with a focus on their psychosocial well-being and mental health

“…Similarly, the finding that men join the community to address mental health and well-being issues is consistent with research indicating that men under-utilize formal mental health and well-being services, preferring informal action-based interventions to formal talk-based interventions [38][39][40]. Indeed, one way of interpreting the results is that men are using the seduction community as an unofficial mental health and well-being service, as part of a quest to address ongoing psychosocial issues.…”

“…These factors have been identified as social determinants of young men's mental health and psychosocial well-being, and may contribute towards high rates of suicide, substance misuse and other mental health issues in men [37,38]. Worryingly, evidence suggests that young men under-utilize formal mental health services [39,40], and a recent review indicates that there are few effective or validated programs to improve the mental health and psychosocial well-being of young men [41].…”

The relations among worry, meta-worry, intolerance of uncertainty and attentional bias for threat in men at high risk for generalized anxiety disorder: a network analysis

“…Research shows that women and men report significant gender differences in their worry and associated cognitive variables [55,56]. Theoretical research and psychological care regarding men's mental health are all in the early stage of development [57,58]. Therefore, this study focuses on men's mental health and investigates these variables in individuals at high risk for GAD.…”

A Qualitative Exploration of Prostate Cancer Survivors Experiencing Psychological Distress: Loss of Self, Function, Connection, and Control

“…Research shows that, worldwide, men are particularly vulnerable to severe distress with older men (over 70 years) from higher-income countries most likely to die of suicide (Fung & Chan, 2011;World Health Organisation, 2014). Men are also less likely than women to seek professional help for psychological distress, as men may be unwilling to admit psychological problems (Bilsker, Fogarty, & Wakefield, 2018;McCaughan, Prue, Parahoo, McIlfatrick, & McKenna, 2011). This may be influenced by traditional masculine ideals of self-reliance, independence and stoicism (Bilsker et al, 2018;Cecil, Mc Caughan, & Parahoo, 2010).…”