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Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking
Michael E Addis1, James R Mahalik
1Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610-1477, USA. maddis@clarku.edu
The American Psychologist
|April 5, 2003
Summary
Understanding men's health help-seeking requires examining masculinity's influence. This research identifies barriers and proposes a framework to improve men's access to mental and physical health services.
Area of Science:
- Psychology of Men and Masculinity
- Social Psychology
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Existing research on men's help-seeking offers strategies for improving resource utilization.
- Analysis of underlying assumptions provides context for the evolving study of men and masculinity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify theoretical and methodological obstacles hindering the understanding of men's help-seeking behaviors.
- To develop a contextual framework integrating socialization, masculinity, and social psychological processes.
- To suggest innovative strategies for facilitating adaptive help-seeking in men.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing theories and research on men's help-seeking.
- Development of a contextual framework examining the interplay of socialization, masculinity, and psychological processes.
- Integration of interdisciplinary theories and methodologies.
Main Results:
- Identified theoretical and methodological barriers limit the understanding of men's help-seeking.
- Developed a contextual framework illustrating how masculinities influence health resource utilization.
- Proposed innovative approaches to enhance men's engagement with health services.
Conclusions:
- A nuanced understanding of masculinity is crucial for addressing men's health disparities.
- The proposed framework facilitates adaptive help-seeking by considering socio-cultural factors.
- Interdisciplinary integration offers new avenues for promoting men's mental and physical well-being.
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