Men’s Help-Seeking Attitudes in Rural Communities Affected by a Natural Disaster

Abstract

The article describes a mixed methods study of help-seeking in men living in the Chilean Central Valley, following exposure to a major earthquake event in 2010. The results identify that, within the sample, positive attitudes toward help-seeking correlated with younger age, higher education levels, above-average incomes, and stable personal relationships. It appears that education plays a significant role in shaping such positive attitudes, particularly by influencing views of gender roles and help-seeking. Conversely, older men’s reticence toward seeking help appeared linked to negative perceptions of available services and the influence of traditional notions of masculinity. The study concludes that adapting interventions and service offers to men’s needs in rural contexts must include an ecosystemic analysis of their reality and incorporate an understanding of masculinity socialization processes.

This Bloke Who Helps Me With My Tractor, He’s Been the Best Psychologist: The Experience of Seeking Mental Health Support in Rural Australia

“…Help-seeking within this study was dependent on capacity of the individual at that time and their insight into their current acute need, and a few barriers were identified. Barriers include a lack of information regarding available services, doubts about privacy and confidentiality, negative experiences of health services, stigma, and isolation ( Kaukiainen & Kõlves, 2020 ; Labra et al, 2019 ; Trail et al, 2021 ). There were also enablers of help-seeking, which were reinforced by Labra et al (2019) , who indicated that a spouse or women, in particular, play a crucial role in assisting men to decide when to seek help.…”

“…In addition, the sample included a male participant’s significant other, such as a partner, spouse, close relative, or friend. It was vital to invite significant others to participate given they often play an important role for men to seek help ( Labra et al, 2019 ). However, it was not compulsory for the significant other to participate.…”

Risk Factors for Delayed Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis among Rural Older Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…Medical professionals could be biased in their approach to analyzing symptoms and diagnosing diseases in older male patients [ 32 ]. In Japanese culture, masculinity may be dominant among the older generation; therefore, older male patients do not visit hospitals with mild symptoms [ 33 , 34 ]. The severity of the symptoms might explain why we observed a trend of early diagnosis in older male patients.…”

Associations between Perception of Help-Seeking Behaviors and Quality of Life among Older People in Rural Communities: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Social factors such as age, gender, living location, and relationships with others in the community affect the tendency to use lay or professional care [ 6 , 7 , 8 ]. HSBs can affect people’s health conditions, such as self-rated health and quality of life (QOL) [ 6 , 9 , 10 ]. Hence, it is important to consider HSBs to improve healthcare.…”