Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health
Men are less likely to utilize health care services compared with women. When it comes to mental health, men have been reported to hold more reluctant attitudes toward engaging with mental health services. Current studies have predominantly been quantitative and focused on understanding effective st...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2023-03-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883231157971 |
| _version_ | 1827997303130030080 |
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| author | Minjoo Kwon Sharon Lawn Christine Kaine |
| author_facet | Minjoo Kwon Sharon Lawn Christine Kaine |
| author_sort | Minjoo Kwon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Men are less likely to utilize health care services compared with women. When it comes to mental health, men have been reported to hold more reluctant attitudes toward engaging with mental health services. Current studies have predominantly been quantitative and focused on understanding effective strategies to promote men’s engagement and why men may avoid help-seeking or may not seek help early; few studies exist of men’s disengagement from services. Much of this research has been undertaken from the services’ perspective. The study reported here attempts to gain better insight into the reasons men give for their disengagement from mental health services and what men say will reengage them back into the system. This research was a secondary analysis of data collected by a national survey conducted by Lived Experience Australia (LEA). Responses of 73 male consumers were gathered and analyzed. Analysis of the responses was split into two themes with associated subthemes: (1) Why men disengage : (1.1) Autonomy; (1.2) Professionalism; (1.3) Authenticity; and (1.4) Systemic Barriers; and (2) What will help men reengage : (2.1) Clinician-driven reconciliation, (2.2) Community and Peer Workers; and (2.3) Ease of reentry. Findings highlight strategies to prevent disengagement such as creating open and honest therapeutic environments and improving men’s mental health literacy while providing care. Evidence-based approaches to reengage male consumers are suggested along with an emphasis on men’s strong preferences for community-based mental health services and peer workers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:27:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e5f6f4614c0a4673a02eee0bc964be85 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:27:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-e5f6f4614c0a4673a02eee0bc964be852023-03-07T17:03:17ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912023-03-011710.1177/15579883231157971Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental HealthMinjoo Kwon0Sharon Lawn1Christine Kaine2College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, AustraliaLived Experience Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaLived Experience Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, AustraliaMen are less likely to utilize health care services compared with women. When it comes to mental health, men have been reported to hold more reluctant attitudes toward engaging with mental health services. Current studies have predominantly been quantitative and focused on understanding effective strategies to promote men’s engagement and why men may avoid help-seeking or may not seek help early; few studies exist of men’s disengagement from services. Much of this research has been undertaken from the services’ perspective. The study reported here attempts to gain better insight into the reasons men give for their disengagement from mental health services and what men say will reengage them back into the system. This research was a secondary analysis of data collected by a national survey conducted by Lived Experience Australia (LEA). Responses of 73 male consumers were gathered and analyzed. Analysis of the responses was split into two themes with associated subthemes: (1) Why men disengage : (1.1) Autonomy; (1.2) Professionalism; (1.3) Authenticity; and (1.4) Systemic Barriers; and (2) What will help men reengage : (2.1) Clinician-driven reconciliation, (2.2) Community and Peer Workers; and (2.3) Ease of reentry. Findings highlight strategies to prevent disengagement such as creating open and honest therapeutic environments and improving men’s mental health literacy while providing care. Evidence-based approaches to reengage male consumers are suggested along with an emphasis on men’s strong preferences for community-based mental health services and peer workers.https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883231157971 |
| spellingShingle | Minjoo Kwon Sharon Lawn Christine Kaine Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health |
| title_full | Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health |
| title_fullStr | Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health |
| title_short | Understanding Men’s Engagement and Disengagement When Seeking Support for Mental Health |
| title_sort | understanding men s engagement and disengagement when seeking support for mental health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883231157971 |
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