Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression: A Qualitative Study

Background: Many studies indicate that men are more reluctant to seek help for mental health problems than women. Traditional ideas of masculinity are often seen as a cause of this phenomenon. However, little is known about the diversity of experiences during the processes of help-seeking and service use among men with depression who have already utilized mental health services. This study aims to explore men's experiences and attitudes toward depression, help-seeking, and service use in order to develop gender-sensitive services.Methods: Narrative-biographical interviews were conducted with men treated for depression (n = 12). Interview topics included individual experience with depression, help-seeking behavior, and mental health service use. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Results: Before seeking treatment, men's help-seeking behavior was negatively affected by internalized masculine norms. However, findings indicate a change of attitudes toward depression after mental health service use. Men with depression emphasized a salutogenic perspective toward mental health problems and critically reflected on masculine norms. The positive function of men-only groups were described as key for successful service use.Conclusions: Men with depression reported experiences toward help-seeking and service use on four different levels: (i) attitudes toward depression, (ii) perception of societal views on depression, (iii) experiences within the family context and (iv) experiences with mental health services. Interventions to reduce the stigma of being “unmanly” and to improve men's capacity to cope with being unable to work should be developed. Peer-led men-only groups may increase participants' self-esteem and assist in disclosing weaknesses. In the context of GPs' mediating role, training for health professionals concerning the impact of masculine norms on mental health is recommended.

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Predictors of help-seeking in unemployed people with mental health problems

International Journal of Social Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0020764019868262 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (7-8) ◽

pp. 543-547 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Moritz E Wigand ◽

Nathalie Oexle ◽

Tamara Waldmann ◽

Tobias Staiger ◽

Thomas Becker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Health Problems ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Unemployed People

Background: Unemployment and mental ill health often contribute to each other and lead to social exclusion with negative consequences for individuals and society. Yet, unemployed people with mental health problems often do not seek care. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess predictors of help-seeking among unemployed people with mental health problems. Methods: At baseline, 301 unemployed participants with mental health problems reported potential predictors of help-seeking in terms of mental health literacy, perceived barriers to care, self-concept as having a mental illness and current mental health service use. At 6-month follow-up, 240 participants reported whether or not they had started new mental health treatment since baseline. Results: Adjusted for symptoms, sociodemographic and work-related variables, help-seeking was predicted by previous mental health service use and by fewer non-stigma-related barriers, not by stigma-related barriers. Conclusion: Implications for interventions to increase help-seeking among this vulnerable group are discussed.

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Mental Health Service Use Among Adult Cancer Survivors: Analyses of the National Health Interview Survey

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2002.03.077 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 20 (23) ◽

pp. 4581-4590 ◽

Cited By ~ 123

Author(s):

Maria Hewitt ◽

Julia H. Rowland

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Mental Health Services ◽

Health Service ◽

Health Services ◽

Cancer Survivors ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use

PURPOSE: Analyses were conducted to obtain national estimates of mental health service use, unmet need for such services, and the prevalence of mental health problems among individuals reporting a cancer history. METHODS: Of a nationally representative sample of 95,615 adults in the United States interviewed as part of the 1998, 1999, and 2000 National Health Interview Survey, 4,878 reported a history of cancer (excluding superficial skin cancer). Analyses assessed whether cancer survivors relative to those without a self-reported history of cancer had increased use of mental health services and had increased reports of unmet need for such services. Analyses were also conducted to ascertain demographic and health characteristics associated with service use and unmet need. RESULTS: Compared with individuals without a cancer history, cancer survivors reported significantly greater contact in the past year with a mental health provider (7.2% v 5.7%). Cancer survivors were more likely to have used mental health services (odds ratio, 1.60 among those without other chronic illnesses and 3.04 among those with other chronic illnesses), and mental health service use was significantly greater among those who were under age 65 and diagnosed at younger ages, were formerly married, or had other comorbid chronic conditions. If all cancer survivors with mental health problems or who needed but could not access mental health services due to cost had received such care, mental health service use would have increased from 7.2% to 11.7%, a 62% increase in use. CONCLUSION: Cancer seems to be one of several chronic illnesses that precipitates the need for and use of mental health services. Improvements are needed in recognizing mental health problems among cancer survivors and reducing barriers to psychosocial service use.

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Subclinical psychotic experiences and subsequent contact with mental health services

BJPsych Open ◽

10.1192/bjpo.bp.117.004689 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 64-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Vishal Bhavsar ◽

James H. Maccabe ◽

Stephani L. Hatch ◽

Matthew Hotopf ◽

Jane Boydell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Mental Health Service ◽

Health Service ◽

Service Use ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Mental Healthcare ◽

Mental Health Service Use ◽

Health Service Use ◽

Psychotic Experiences

BackgroundAlthough psychotic experiences in people without diagnosed mental health problems are associated with mental health service use, few studies have assessed this prospectively or measured service use by real-world clinical data.AimsTo describe and investigate the association between psychotic experiences and later mental health service use, and to assess the role of symptoms of common mental health disorders in this association.MethodWe linked a representative survey of south-east London (SELCoH-1, n=1698) with health records from the local mental healthcare provider. Cox regression estimated the association of PEs with rate of mental health service use.ResultsAfter adjustments, psychotic experiences were associated with a 1.75-fold increase in the rate of subsequent mental health service use (hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, 95% CI 1.03–2.97) compared with those without PEs. Participants with PEs experienced longer care episodes compared with those without.ConclusionsPsychotic experiences in the general population are important predictors of public mental health need, aside from their relevance for psychoses. We found psychotic experiences to be associated with later mental health service use, after accounting for sociodemographic confounders and concurrent psychopathology.

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