Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the experiences of help seeking amongst men, and the effect that depression and anxiety, and engaging in different forms of support has on reshaping masculine identities.

Paper long abstract:

This presentation draws on the findings of a qualitative study looking at how best to support men with depression and anxiety, and the possible role of group therapy in that support. The study explored men's experiences of depression and anxiety, as well as their approach to, and experiences of, help seeking. We mapped the mental health groups available within one UK city, observed three different mental health groups, interviewed 22 men with depression / anxiety, and interviewed 12 people who worked with depressed and anxious men. The findings show that support for men is primarily offered and preferred initially by most men on a one-to-one basis. However, peer-led structured community groups, professionally run psycho-educational groups and unstructured informal support groups are also popular with some men. The available groups were generally mixed gender and there was found to be a reluctance by most men to attend or set up men-only groups. While a few men-only mental health groups existed they recruited members by first developing trust with key individuals. Preliminary analysis demonstrates that men tackled the stigma of admitting to anxiety and depression and struggled with trying to live up to the ideals of masculine coping behaviour. The issue and importance of diagnosis was also relevant to men as it was to the framing of services by providers. While some men attempted to rebuild new identities and masculinities by engaging with various therapeutic strategies, other men described the ongoing difficulties of help seeking and remained in distressed and marginalised positions.