Self-Organized Men's Mental Health and Well-Being Groups-An Emerging Social Development

Men's mental health is a national and global concern amid consistently higher suicide rates and rising demand and long waiting times for state-funded services. Simultaneously, groups supporting men's health and well-being, such as Men's Sheds and community-led self-help and peer-support initiatives, have expanded. Despite their growth, research on the role of men's peer-support groups in tackling mental health is still in the early stages, with limited understanding of how they function. To begin to address this gap, we surveyed men's mental health and well-being groups throughout Wales (UK) in 2024, to describe their target audience, theoretical basis, activities, and delivery strategies. The online survey included fixed-response items and open-ended questions. Topics covered included group activities, participation frequency, types and numbers of participants, purposes and beliefs, structure and staffing, barriers, and publicity methods. Only 40% of groups reported offering practical activities while 79% reported promoting emotional openness, which could suggest a fairly direct approach to encouraging men to share personal thoughts and experiences is now more widespread than a "health by stealth" approach based around practical activities. Many groups reported rising participation despite operating without formally trained or salaried staff. Research is needed to understand how groups can be optimally delivered to achieve a balance between maintaining informal support structures and ensuring quality control. Further evidence is needed on a range of aspects, including group members' experiences in these groups, program theory in practice, and the effectiveness of the groups in improving mental health.