Experiences of Black Men: Forms of Masculinity and Effects on Psychological Help-Seeking Variables

Black adults in the United States seek mental healthcare at a lesser rate than White adults, attributed in part to the stigma of seeking psychological help. Black men in need of mental health care face a double barrier associated with the intersection of their race and gender, as men report more negative attitudes toward help-seeking than do women. To understand help-seeking attitudes among Black men, this study examined the direct effects of traditional masculinity, traditional/Black masculinity, and Black masculinity on public stigma of help-seeking as well as the indirect effects on self-stigma of help-seeking and psychological help-seeking attitudes among a sample of Black men in the United States (N = 160). Results demonstrated that Black masculinity and traditional/Black masculinity predicted greater public stigma, which predicts greater self-stigma and in turn less positive psychological help-seeking attitudes. This study also found an unexpected negative relationship between traditional masculinity and public stigma and an indirect positive effect on psychological help-seeking attitudes. Results support tailored stigma-reduction interventions for the Black community.