Engendered Expressions of Anxiety: Men’s Emotional Communications With Women and Other Men

Abstract

While the contemporary therapeutic discourse inveigles us to talk about our personal problems, a countervailing neo-liberal healthist discourse, aligning with conventional masculinity norms, presumes that we will manage any issues independently. This discursive tension can be difficult to navigate, especially for men confronted with still powerful traditional expectations around masculinity (e.g., self-reliance; personal control; restricted emotionality). Although qualitative research has examined how men negotiate masculinities with respect to depression, to date there has been scant attention focused on men experiencing anxiety. This article reports on an interview study with men, some with anxiety diagnoses and some without (N = 17). Thematic analysis highlights that participants can and do talk about their anxieties, most readily with significant women in their lives (e.g., partners; mothers)–although this is not always straightforward. Talking to other men was more fraught, and while participants were wary of sharing problems with male friends, or signaled issues indirectly, they also highlighted situations where they would open up e.g., workspaces where they felt safe; with best friends. Those who had gone through a therapeutic process over many years tended to me more comfortable talking to others, male or female, about their mental health–and were also keen to other support to others where they could. Our analysis suggests that despite stereotypical notions of silent, self-contained men, there are many contexts where men may feel comfortable sharing their stories of pain and suffering. This chimes with wider cultural changes and the reported experiences of some mental health initiatives.

The Potential Impact of Adjunct Digital Tools and Technology to Help Distressed and Suicidal Men: An Integrative Review

“…Pandemic-related stress (e.g., disease risk, ongoing economic uncertainty, loneliness, and lifestyle changes) have exacerbated men’s high-risk for depression and suicidal ideation ( Ellison et al, 2021 ). Lower prevalence rates of common mental health problems (i.e., anxiety and depression) in men should not be inferred that there is less overall experience of such ( Gough et al, 2021 ). Instead, it was suggested that reporting of psychological symptoms is limited by hegemonic masculinities related to self-reliance and not expressing emotions.…”

“…In-roads are being made toward emotional intelligence in men. In-person activity-based initiatives (e.g., Men’s Sheds) have brought together mainly older men to support each other whilst mental health support online offers promise in targeting communities of men (e.g., lifestyle and ethnic groups) ( Gough et al, 2021 ).…”

Men’s anxiety, why it matters, and what is needed to limit its risk for male suicide

“…To reduce the risk of deleterious mental health outcomes associated with men's anxiety, the gendered elements of men's experiences, including masculinities, must be adequately considered and harnessed. The field of men's anxiety should leverage existing scholarship (i.e., men's depression research) to advance theoretical models and provide empirical weight to account for men's experiences of anxiety [2,51,52]. Theoretical models of men's anxiety must detail how men describe their anxiety experiences, including their patterns for expressing and managing their anxious states.…”

“…Mental health resources and interventions targeting men's informal supports (i.e., partners, family and friends) are also likely to be effective in the identification, management, treatment and ultimate prevention of men's anxiety. Men have indicated a preference for informal support over formal mental health services to manage their anxiety [29], and men's intimate relationships and friendships have been shown to be a space where men can talk about anxiety [2]. Informal sources of support play a significant role in improving the knowledge surrounding mental health symptoms, and positively influencing attitudes towards formal mental health care [72,73].…”

“…Despite being the most prevalent mental health disorder experienced by men, anxiety has been overlooked in mental health scholarship [1,2]. Anxiety is often the first mental health disorder young men experience, and if left untreated it is predictive of comorbid psychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis [3].…”