An Exploratory Study of Men's Access to Mental Health Services

Public Significance Statement There are often assumptions about what mental health services men will want to and be able to engage with. Our analysis of interviews with men who had experienced depression suggest that men's access to mental health services depends on ensuring a diversity in mental health services offered, availability and visibility of services, and relationships with service providers. Men with mental ill health face multiple barriers to accessing support services. While there is existing work specifically addressing men's individual help-seeking behaviors, health providers need to better understand broader contexts about access to mental health services. Men seeking help for health-related issues are often stigmatized, and increasingly so when seeking mental health services. This is thought to partly explain the disparities in men's poor mental health outcomes. The present study aims to improve understanding of men's experiences of accessing complex transformative services by integrating the behavioral model of health service use and theories and concepts relating to masculine norms and idealized masculinity. Applying an exploratory qualitative design, a sample of men with high levels of depressive symptoms were interviewed about their experiences with health, stress, and coping. Findings indicate men's experiences of mental health service use were shaped by the external environment, individual characteristics, and their previous service interactions. The analysis identifies key elements of complex health services that empower men to overcome gender-based barriers and access these services. Based on these findings, we provide specific recommendations related to providing a broader range of services rather than assuming that a service designed to appeal specifically to men will be accessible to all men. Visibility of services also improved accessibility for men, such as with successful campaigns including fridge magnets or easy-to-recall phone numbers.