GW4 Men’s Mental Health Research Group

Comparatively lower rates of mental illness among men than women are not explained by better health. Men face unique challenges in maintaining mental health and these challenges may explain the exceptionally high rates of suicide among men in the UK2. Adherence to masculine norms regarding restrictive or externalised emotional processing, fear of stigmatization and a lack of male-friendly support options or informal support networks among friends, have all been suggested to influence men’s mental health and help seeking behaviours. Although our understanding of these factors has improved over the years, this has done nothing to address the inequalities in help seeking that exist between men and women or between subgroups of men.

This project will provide the foundation for our men’s mental health research group. Through a scoping review and interviews and focus groups, we will explore:
1) How are men being engaged about mental health?
2) How can we better engage men about mental health?
3) How should we study men’s mental health?

The answers to these questions will then be used to inform the research agenda and funding proposals for our group moving forward.