Engaging Men In Mental Healthcare
Nearly two-thirds of men with a diagnosable mental health issue did not seek treatment for those problems last year. Here are some strategies to help clinicians increase men’s engagement with mental health services!
Our blog content is usually written for the general public and clients of mental health services. Today’s post is aimed at the clinicians out there who work with male clients and are looking for recommendations to help increase service engagement among men.
Snapshot Of Men’s Mental Health
Despite significant economic and political advantages, men still experience a disproportionate number of negative health and social outcomes.
Compared to folx of other genders, men are more likely to:
Be perpetrators and victims of physical violence
Use substances in a problematic manner
Die by suicide, homicide, and of complications related to substance use
Engage in risky behaviours generally (e.g., risky sexual behaviours, speeding)
Develop cancers and cardiovascular problems
And less likely to:
Have strong social support
Use effective coping strategies to manage distress
Engage with health services in general and mental health services in particular
Men use mental health services at about half the rate of women, are more likely to go to psychotherapy for fewer sessions, and are more likely to dropout prematurely before presenting issues have been resolved. Nearly two-thirds of men with one or more diagnosable mental disorders did not seek treatment last year.
Masculinities
Traditional masculine ideals tell us that boys and men are supposed to be:
Self-reliant
Achievement-focused, particularly in finances and career
Logical and analytical
Unemotional (except for anger)
Aggressive and dominant
Powerful
The belief that boys and men should be ‘powerful’ runs throughout many of the traditional narratives about masculinity. The idea is that we men need to be physically, professionally, financially, and mentally dominant and powerful, and that being anything less is ‘weak.’
We know that men who rigidly adhere to these traditional beliefs about masculinity are both more likely to suffer from many of the adverse health outcomes listed above and less likely to seek help for them. This means that it’s not simply one’s belief that a man should be powerful, independent, and logical but an overly rigid adherence to these ideas that amplifies the risk of negative health outcomes.
Here’s a telling quotation from one article about the broad state of men’s mental health:
“The research implies a knock-on effect where men do not perceive the need for care, immediate support systems do not identify male-specific warning signs, diagnostic criteria do not detect men with mental health problems, and men delay treatment until problems are too severe to ignore” (Bilsker et al., 2018, p. 593).
We need to do a better job of helping men identify their problems more easily and openly, as well as develop a more responsive health system that recognizes men’s mental health issues and delivers appropriate services for them.
Engaging Men In Mental Healthcare
There are two levels at which we want to increase men’s engagement with mental health services. The first level involves getting men connected with appropriate mental health services in the first place. Possible strategies to help increase the likelihood that men will initiate services include:
Increase public health campaigns about mental health issues among boys and men specifically aimed at normalizing mental health issues and seeking help for them. Evidence shows that men’s beliefs about what other men are feeling and doing is a key predictor of help-seeking, so we need to continue to normalize the presence of problems and seeking support.
Enhance the reach and access of digital interventions. It can be easier to commit to a distanced program with a lessened focus on deep sharing and personal vulnerability.
Capitalize on men’s concerns about important others in life. Men are more reluctant to seek help when it is framed as being for personal benefit, so highlighting how help-seeking will improve the lives of family and friends will increase buy-in.
The second level at which we need to increase men’s engagement with services is keeping men in treatment once they do connect. Strategies to help men remain engaged include:
Normalize differences in emotion awareness and communication across genders. As clinicians, we may want to dive deep into emotional experiences quickly, yet this can be both more challenging and threatening for male clients on average, so go slower.
Reflect on our own biases. Health professionals express less empathy and offer less treatment explanation to male patients, so let’s understand how our perspectives may influence our interactions with men.
Provide clear explanations about:
The treatment plan and the options for treatment
Therapist and client role expectations and what clients can expect from both of you over time
Therapy timelines and possible markers of progress
For some, emphasize self-regulation as a desirable goal for therapy to reduce worries about indefinite dependence on the therapy or therapist.
Use a more action-oriented, collaborative style with a primary focus on skill-building rather than supportive listening and expressed empathy. Expressed empathy and validation are integral in therapy broadly, yet using this as a primary intervention may feel less proactive and more aversive for some men.
Use problem-oriented language, like describing symptoms as “problems to be solved” or “barriers to be overcome.”
Employ judicious self-disclosure, informal language, and humour to reduce power imbalances, as appropriate.
Stay brief and specific in your questions and responses, with an emphasis on ‘doing’ rather than ‘talking.’
Hopefully it goes without saying that many of the strategies listed above can and should be used in therapy with a majority of clients regardless of gender and that these strategies won’t be welcome or appropriate for all men. These are general suggestions, and you should always use clinical judgment and flexibility when tailoring your approach with all clients.
On average, research and treatment guidelines suggest that the strategies outlined above can help increase the likelihood that men will seek mental health support in the first place and will remain engaged with those services long enough to experience symptom reduction or total recovery.
WG Psychology
WG Psychology is a psychology and psychotherapy clinic based in Toronto that helps people live more connected, purposeful lives through compassionate, evidence-based mental health support. Connect with us to see if we’re a fit for you!
Disclaimer: This post is intended for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for psychotherapy. The information provided is general and may not be appropriate for your particular mental health needs. Always consult a qualified health professional to discuss your personal needs and goals.