Men’s Help Seeking for Depression: The Efficacy of a Male-Sensitive Brochure About Counseling
Abstract
Although depression among men is becoming better understood, men still underuse counseling services. Hence, there is an important need for improved ways to reach out to depressed men. This study examined the efficacy of a male-sensitive brochure aimed toward improving attitudes about seeking counseling and reducing the self-stigma of seeking counseling among 1,397 depressed men who had not previously sought help for their depression. Results indicate that the male-sensitive brochure, which incorporated current knowledge from the psychology of men and masculinity and mental health marketing, improved participants’ attitudes and reduced their self-stigma toward counseling. Furthermore, the new brochure improved attitudes and reduced stigma to a greater degree than previously developed brochures. Implications for mental health marketing, practice, and research are discussed.
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The engagement strategies highlighted the "social comparison" BCT by providing someone one could relate to.
“These highlighted the “social comparison” BCT as it provided someone who one could relate to (Hammer & Vogel, 2010; King et al., 2018; Rochlen et al., 2006).”
From Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking (2019) · cites this paper as Hammer & Vogel, 2010
Limited work has been carried out to address men's psychological help-seeking, with only a handful of public awareness campaigns and interventions designed to improve it.
“Limited work has been carried out to address these problems, with only a handful of public awareness campaigns and interventions designed to improve men’s psychological help-seeking.”
From Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Men: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Behavior Change Techniques Within Interventions Targeting Help-Seeking (2019) · cites this paper as Hammer & Vogel, 2010
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- Authors
- Hammer, J. H., & Vogel, D. L.
- Affiliations
- Iowa State University (US)
- Venue
- The Counseling Psychologist
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-11-17
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 296-313
- ISSN
- 0011-0000 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-3861
- OpenAlex
- W2127972355
- Cited by
- 119
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 6.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Counseling Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Keywords
- help-seeking, counseling attitudes, self-stigma, masculinity, help-seeking barriers
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