Men's Health Seeking Behaviour

Question One 

The authors give two theories; sex difference theory and masculine gender role socialization which help to explain the reluctance among men in seeking help. The sex difference theory shows that women are more likely to recognize and label nonspecific feelings of distress as emotional problems as compared to men (Addis & Mahalik, 2003). As such, men are less likely to report or seek psychotherapy. However, there are limitations to the theory which include elusiveness of the biological, social, and psychological factors causing the difference. Additionally, the theory assumes all men behave the same, and it supports essentialists’ interpretation of gender. The second theory; masculine gender-role socialization which states that men learn gendered attitudes and behaviors from ideologies, norms, values from cultures on what it means to be either a man or a man (Addis & Mahalik, 2003). Thus, the reduced chances of men to seek either physical or psychological health are gendered. Moreover, self-reliance and avoidance is another theory that can prevent men from seeking help as it will show loss of control. 

Question Two 

A man suffering from a break will decide whether to seek help based on the following question. First, they will ask ‘how normal is the problem?’ Usually, a breakup is a form of failure for the man, and thus the problem is treated as non-normative. Second, the man would ask, ‘is the problem a central part of me?’ Evidently, a breakup is a central ego problem that reflects an important quality of a man. Third, ‘will I have an opportunity to reciprocate?’ if the man gets help to overcome a breakup problem, he may never have a chance for reciprocity as the issue in non-normative. Finally, ‘how will other react if I seek help?’ usually, societies, especially fellow men disapprove of help-seeking measures. 

Question Three 

Given the psychological processes that the man undergoes I response to help-seeking context, there is a high probability that he will not seek help. The reasons for the decision are because of the non-normative nature of the problem, lowers ego, lack of reciprocity, and community disapproval. To help my friend, I would encourage traditional helping services and reminding them that they will lose nothing with help. 

Reference  

Addis, M. E., & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking.  American psychologist ,  58 (1), 5.