Men’s reactions to mental health labels, forms of help-seeking, and sources of help-seeking advice.

Abstract

Despite there being effective clinical treatments for a range of mental health issues (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999, Mental health: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), men have a particularly low rate of help-seeking from mental health professionals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2002, The NHSDA report: Serious mental illness among adults. Rockville, MD: National Institute of Mental Health). A variety of contextual factors may be associated with why men are resistant to professional help-seeking (Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R., 2003, Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help-seeking, American Psychologist, 58, 5–14). The current project recruited a diverse community sample and used two observational rating measures to assess men’s verbal reactions to common mental health labels (“anxiety” and “depression”), different forms of help-seeking (medication, psychotherapy, friends and family, and “other forms of help-seeking”), and different sources of help-seeking advice (romantic partner, doctor, and psychotherapist) within the context of a clinical-style interview. The findings indicated that men prefer talk-therapy with a psychotherapist compared to other forms of professional help-seeking and that many men, particularly those who adhere to hegemonic masculine norms, are more resistant to taking medication. Men were also found to react more positively to seeking professional treatment at the suggestion of a psychotherapist compared with a medical doctor or romantic partner. Finally, the study confirmed previous self-report findings that adherence to masculine norms is negatively associated with men’s willingness to seek professional help.

The impact of prostate cancer on men's everyday life

“…Indeed, Berger et al . () made a similar observation concerning the impact of social settings on men's willingness to talk, although they acknowledge self‐selection bias in their sample. The findings from this study support the development of gender‐specific and gender‐sensitive settings and environments through which men can be encouraged to become health aware by talking about their health experiences.…”

Predictors of Mental Health Service Use by Young Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Broader public education campaigns should also be considered, particularly because young adults' perceptions of urgency can be influenced by parents and peers, who may initiate help seeking on their behalf (13,21,68). The identified gender differences may partly reflect masculine norms, including reliance on one's own strengths and resources (79). Thus, by challenging stereotypes and reducing perceived, use of social media to normalize utilization of professional services may help narrow the gender gap in service use and encourage young men to seek professional help (80).…”

Men and Women Who Attend Al-Anon: Gender Differences in Reasons for Attendance, Health Status and Personal Functioning, and Drinker Characteristics

“…Although most members were satisfied with their friendships, men were less likely to be satisfied with these relationships than women were. This relative dissatisfaction is a potential reason why men attend Al-Anon at lower rates-they may be less open to seeking help from peers for their problems compared to other sources of help (Berger, Addis, Green, Mackowiak, & Goldberg, 2013) and compared to women (Butler, Giordano, & Neren, 1985). In support of this idea, fewer men reported talking with other people about their problems 59 as a coping strategy.…”