Men’s Mental Health Promotion Interventions: A Scoping Review

Abstract

There is an increasing need for mental health promotion strategies that effectively engage men. Although researchers have examined the effectiveness of diverse mental wellness interventions in male-dominated industries, and reviewed suicide prevention, early intervention, and health promotion interventions for boys and men, few have focused on sex-specific program effects. The purpose of this review was to (a) extend the previous reviews to examine the effectiveness of mental health promotion programs in males, and (b) evaluate the integration of gender-specific influences in the content and delivery of men’s mental health promotion programs. A search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE databases for articles published between January 2006 and December 2016 was conducted. Findings from the 25 included studies indicated that a variety of strategies offered within (9 studies) and outside (16 studies) the workplace show promise for promoting men’s mental health. Although stress was a common area of focus (14 studies), the majority of studies targeted multiple outcomes, including some indicators of positive well-being such as self-efficacy, resilience, self-esteem, work performance, and happiness/quality of life. The majority of programs were offered to both men and women, and six studies explicitly integrated gender-related influences in male-specific programs in ways that recognized men’s interests and preferences.

Engaging Australian men in masculinity and suicide – A concept test of social media materials and a website

“…We developed the materials based on knowledge from previous research. However, most previous studies on male health promotion focuses on specific intervention settings and were delivered in face‐to‐face settings . Most research on mental health communication with men addresses depression and other mental health problems but does not explicitly look at suicide .…”

“…42,52 Most research on mental health communication with men addresses depression and other mental health problems but does not explicitly look at suicide. 42,53 Research evidence stems from a variety of western cultures, dominated by studies from the UK and the US 52,54,55 and few are multilevel interventions including online media. With online health interventions of the rise, 56,57 our study is an important addition in this area.…”

“…37,38 While several studies addressed the question of how best to promote help-seeking to men, these are limited to specific settings (eg, counselling services, workplaces) and have relied on the provision of information via traditional single channel health promotion and face-to-face designs. [39][40][41][42] Seeking to engage Australian men (and women) in a conversation about the problem of male suicide and masculinity in our view demands a mass health promotion intervention approach. This approach allows to reach a wider part of the population which is important given the systemic and social nature of the issue.…”

Impact of male‐only lifestyle interventions on men's mental health: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…As such, men are consistently less likely than women to seek professional mental health support, regardless of age, ethnicity, and social backgrounds . This indicates an increasing need for mental health promotion strategies that are effective in both engaging and assisting men …”

“…Although men are often reluctant to participate in traditional mental health treatments (eg, therapy and medication), studies have found men will seek help if it is accessible, appropriate, and engaging . This is an important area of future research, particularly with scholars recently suggesting that it may be more fruitful to improve men's mental health indirectly through lifestyle interventions …”