An exploratory study of men’s access to mental health services.

Abstract

Men with mental ill health face multiple barriers to accessing support services. While there is existing work specifically addressing men’s individual help-seeking behaviors, health providers need to better understand broader contexts about access to mental health services. Men seeking help for health-related issues are often stigmatized, and increasingly so when seeking mental health services. This is thought to partly explain the disparities in men’s poor mental health outcomes. The present study aims to improve understanding of men’s experiences of accessing complex transformative services by integrating the behavioral model of health service use and theories and concepts relating to masculine norms and idealized masculinity. Applying an exploratory qualitative design, a sample of men with high levels of depressive symptoms were interviewed about their experiences with health, stress, and coping. Findings indicate men’s experiences of mental health service use were shaped by the external environment, individual characteristics, and their previous service interactions. The analysis identifies key elements of complex health services that empower men to overcome gender-based barriers and access these services. Based on these findings, we provide specific recommendations related to providing a broader range of services rather than assuming that a service designed to appeal specifically to men will be accessible to all men. Visibility of services also improved accessibility for men, such as with successful campaigns including fridge magnets or easy-to-recall phone numbers.

Exploring Health Literacy and Psychological Resilience as Moderators of Symptoms of Mental Illness Among Australian Men

“…Although stigma is often a barrier to entry to health services for men, experiences during visits can also determine subsequent help-seeking behaviors (Marcell et al, 2002; Smith et al, 2008a). Seidler et al (2020a) found that dissatisfaction with previous therapy negatively affected perceptions of effectiveness in the future, which aligns with previous evidence outlining multiple characteristics that can affect health service engagement (Scholz et al, 2022) and the client–therapist relationship, which include the following: not the right fit or approach; perceived pressure from the counselor or psychotherapist; lack of trust or uncertainty from the client, the counselor, or psychotherapist acting on assumptions about the client; uncertain expectations from the client about the session; clients not providing enough effort; and scheduling and timing problems (Richards & Bedi, 2015).…”

The relationship between reincarceration and treatment of opioid use disorder with extended-release naltrexone among persons with HIV

“…Those involved in the justice system face barriers that make it even more difficult to receive treatment for mental health disorders. For men, who are disproportionately involved in the justice system, gender norms often require them to be self-sufficient, and receiving mental health services is seen as demasculinizing ( Scholz et al., 2022 ).…”

Intersectional analysis of men’s masculinities and mental health-seeking behavior: A novel application of multiple correspondence analysis.

“…Vogel and Heath (2016) advocated embedding measures of masculinity within larger theories of help-seeking (for instance, the theory of reasoned action, by Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980) as a way of facilitating the inclusion of additional contextual factors in analyses. Other authors maintained that the research on men’s mental health has focused on a narrative of “what men do wrong” in relation to their health and illness rather than examining how different men might be willing and able to engage in their own mental health and well-being (Addis et al, 2010; Kiselica & Englar-Carlson, 2010; Scholz et al, 2022; Seidler et al, 2016; Vickery, 2021).…”