Psychosocial Oncology Supports for Men

Abstract

Although men's cancer experiences have received limited attention within the field of psychosocial oncology, increasing attention is being devoted to the development and evaluation of men-centered programs. This scoping review describes this emergent body of literature, detailing the focus, participation, and impact of interventions designed to help men with cancer build illness-specific knowledge, adapt to illness, manage side effects, distress, and uncertainty, sustain relationships, and more. Striving to build on existing knowledge, research gaps and opportunities are discussed, including a need for stronger methodologies, more tailored and targeted supports, attention to the experiences of men with nonprostate cancers, and the explicit integration of gender analyses in the research process.

Exploring Gender-Related Experiences of Cancer Survivors Through Creative Arts: A Scoping Review

“…Furthermore, although one third of the articles in this review did include male participants, there are still significant gaps in relation to studies encompassing masculinities. For example, previously identified aspects of male culture (e.g., men’s use of humor) did not surface in the results of the included studies (Wenger, Oliffe, & Bottorff, 2016). The characteristics of participants identified in this review is consistent with psychosocial interventions in rehabilitation and nursing literature (Dieperink, Wagner, Hansen, & Hansen, 2013; Oliffe, Ogrodniczuk, Bottorff, Hislop, & Halpin, 2009).…”

Masculine norms about emotionality and social constraints in young and older adult men with cancer

“…There is a call for increased attention to the intersection of masculinity and cancer in psycho-oncology research with more emphasis on how the societal expectations of being a man intersects with experiences of cancer support (Wenger et al, 2014). The studies reported here address this intersection by examining the relationship of social constraints and restrictive emotionality with psychological distress in both young and older men with cancer.…”

A qualitative exploration of the lived experiences and perceived impact of a supportive-expressive group therapy on men living with gastrointestinal cancer

“…Engaging and inclusive styles of professional facilitation are recognized as important therapeutic factors in stimulating group interaction, cohesion, and belonging. [36] Although supportive/expressive goals framed the content of discussions, the (equally appreciated) ‘no agenda’ style of facilitation supported men to feel empowered over the process of shared narratives. This is consistent with the literature suggesting that SEGT, as a semistructured intervention, is designed to allow group members to steer the focus of the group discussions because they have the first‐hand experience with their own challenges.…”