Men's help‐seeking and engagement with general practice: An integrative review

Abstract

Aim:To critically synthesize the literature that describes men's help-seeking and engagement with general practice.Design: Integrative literature review.Data sources: CINAHL plus, Medline and APA PsycInfo were searched for papers published between 1999 and March 2021.Review methods: After screening titles and abstracts, full-text papers were screened against inclusion / exclusion criteria. All included papers were assessed for methodological quality. Findings were extracted, critically examined and synthesized into themes.Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis revealed four themes related to; (1) structural barriers, (2) internal barriers, (3) men's understanding of the role of general practice, and (4) self-care and help-seeking. The findings indicate that men can find general practice unwelcoming and unaccommodating. Men can also experience psychological barriers that impact engagement and help-seeking.Men predominantly view general practice as a source of acute health care and do not appreciate the role of general practice in preventive health care and advice. Conclusion:This review has provided insight into the issues around the barriers to health care engagement, men's understanding of the role of general practice and their associated help-seeking. Seeking to further understand these issues could assist in the development of strategies to promote engagement of men with general practice health care.Impact: This review highlights research about men's engagement with general practice and the missed opportunities in receiving preventive health care and education. Enhancing men's engagement with general practice has the potential to reduce the impact of their health on quality of life and improve health outcomes.

Home‐based self‐sampling vs clinician sampling for anal precancer screening: The Prevent Anal Cancer Self‐Swab Study

“…In addition to convenience, the home‐based option may be important to PLH due, in part, to doctor visit fatigue 28 . While not unique to PLH, other reasons that may lower engagement with anal cancer screening at clinics include poor health care utilization among males, especially for preventive care, 29 anal cancer stigma, 10 and medical mistrust, especially among black SMM 30 . The increased risk of anal cancer among black SMM with HIV underscores the importance of optimizing screening opportunities for both black individuals and PLH 2 …”

Mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced outpatient HIV and syphilis testing in Brazil

“…While the change in median age is unlikely to be clinically meaningful, reductions in the percentage of male patients suggest a differential impact of pandemic-related mobility restriction by gender. Gender-based differences in healthcare-seeking behaviors have been described in multiple studies, usually suggesting that men are less likely to access healthcare when compared to women; [17] , [18] , [19] it is unknown whether this discrepancy would increase, decrease, or remain stable in the context of restricted mobility. On the other hand, the overall prevalence of HIV and syphilis in Brazil is higher among men when compared to women; [ 5 , 6 ] consequently, targeted testing would be expected to prioritize men over women during the most critical moments of the pandemic.…”

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

“…The mechanisms of feeling supported by a health care provider for men relate first with access and connection with the mental health care system. Well-established barriers to help-seeking in men relate to stigma, low health literacy, adherence to masculine norms, and low general awareness of symptoms (Milner et al, 2019; Mursa et al, 2022; Rice et al, 2018). This pattern of disengagement commences in adolescence and persists through adulthood (Marcell et al, 2002; Rice et al, 2018).…”