Centre for Youth Mental Health - Research Publications
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe case for and Against Doing Virtual Photovoice(SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2023-07-13)Photovoice offers creative participatory action methods for conveying community strengths and challenges with the goal of addressing health inequities. Accelerated by COVID-19 restrictions, photovoice has increasingly become virtual, and this shift has given rise to new considerations including navigating online recruitment and data collection, e-participatory action trends and working with multi-site large qualitative data sets. Within these contexts, the current article discusses the case for and against virtual photovoice, drawing from a large study comprising 110 men’s experiences of, and perspectives about, equitable and sustainable intimate partner relationships. The findings are shared across three themes. The first theme, e-Efficiencies and concessions contrasts increased recruitment reach and data collection cost-savings with vulnerabilities to phishing and challenges for working with participants’ wide-ranging internet literacies and practices. Theme two, Participatory action changed, chronicles the participants’ varied relationships to photography including sourcing third-party and archived photographs. Revealed also were privacy concerns whereby some participants opted for audio only interviews and/or restricted the use of their photographs. The third theme, Reckoning breadth and depth in a large dataset, discusses emergent study design considerations including analytics for interpreting and contextually representing large multi-site projects that are made possible through virtual photovoice. While technological advances and COVID-19 have forged photovoice virtually, the case for and against this trend reveals complex considerations that will likely manifest a continuum of approaches ranging virtual, hybrid and in-person models. In summary, we suggest that integral to weighing the case for and against virtual photovoice researchers will need to thoughtfully adapt to changing technologies, as well as potential post COVID-19 tilts for returning to in-person.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableSilence and its manifestations in men’s mental illness(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2023-07-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableNeo-traditionalist, egalitarian and progressive masculinities in men's heterosexual intimate partner relationships(PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2023-09)Shifts in gender roles, identities and relations since the 1980s are continuing to influence masculinities within intimate partner relationships. Forefront in men's contemporary heterosexual relationships have been calls for gender equality and gender equity as a means to promoting the mental health and well-being of partners and their families. Most previous research has focused on a pathologized role of men in relationships (e.g., intimate partner violence). Little is known about how men perceive intimate partner relationships using a strength-based perspective. The current photovoice study addressed the research question, 'What are the connections between masculinities and men's heterosexual intimate partner relationships?' to highlight young men's (19-43 years-old) experiences of, and perspectives about their intimate partner relationships. Drawing from individual Zoom interviews with 92 heterosexual, cisgender men from 14 countries, we abductively derived three masculine typologies: 1) neo-traditionalist, 2) egalitarian and 3) progressive. Twenty-two (24%) participants embodied neo-traditionalist masculinities characterized by reliance's on traditional masculine norms that assign domesticities as feminine and prize masculine breadwinner and protector roles. Half of the participants (50%, n = 46) purposefully distanced themselves from traditional masculine norms to engage egalitarian masculinities. These men idealized equal (50-50) contributions and reciprocity wherein counts were often used to evaluate each partner's relative efforts and contributions to the relationship. Progressive masculinities were evident in 26% (n = 24) of participants who focused on fairness and social justice, checking their own privilege to justly operate within the relationship, and more broadly in society. The three typologies are grounded in men's heterosexual intimate partner gender relations, and advance masculinity frameworks to guide future health-research, policy and practice. In addition, there are opportunities for men's mental health promotion by prompting readers' reflexivity to thoughtfully consider what they idealize, and where they map in relation to the masculine typologies featured in the current article.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableWorking with men in the context of distressed and disrupted intimate partner relationships: A qualitative study(ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD, 2023-10)OBJECTIVE: To describe key considerations for working with men experiencing distressed and disrupted intimate partner relationships. METHODS: Individual Zoom interviews were conducted with help-seeking men (n = 25) who had experienced an intimate partnership break-up, and health service providers (n = 30) working with men in the relationships space. Interpretive Description methodology was used to generate considerations for working with men in distressed and disrupted relationships. RESULTS: Three thematic findings were inductively derived; 1) A whole life approach for deconstructing relationships, wherein men engaged in discussions about their broader experiences and circumstances within the context of intimate partnerships; 2) Affirming men's relationship emotions and vulnerabilities as normative and changeable, comprising coaching for embodying transformative masculinities; and 3) Tangible 'to do's' in and after a relationship, outlining men's present and prospective self-work with action-oriented strategies. CONCLUSION: Strategies tailored to men's receptivity and needs can increase connection with professional services and providers to bolster the mental health of men in and after disrupted intimate partner relationships. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: With men increasingly accessing professional mental health services, the present study offers key considerations and recommendations regarding assessment, communication, and treatment for health service providers working with men in the relationships space.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEstablishing Research Priorities for Investigating Male Suicide Risk and Recovery: A Modified Delphi Study With Lived-Experience Experts(EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC, 2024-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableStatus Loss Due to COVID-19, Traditional Masculinity, and Their Association With Recent Suicide Attempts and Suicidal Ideation(EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC, 2023-01)
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ItemConnecting and Healing: The Role of Existential Isolation in Mediating the Impact of the Therapeutic Relationship on Canadian Men's Mental Health Outcomes(SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2022-11)The therapeutic relationship has emerged as one of the most important components of successful treatment outcomes, regardless of the specific form of therapy. Research has now turned its attention to better understanding how the therapeutic relationship contributes to patient improvement. Extant literature contends that a strong therapeutic relationship may help reduce a patient's sense of existential isolation (i.e., a sense of not feeling understood by others). Research indicates that existential isolation might be especially problematic for men, potentially increasing their risk for suicidality. This study investigated the association between strength of the therapeutic relationship and psychological distress and suicidality among men who received psychotherapy, and whether existential isolation mediated this association. A total of 204 Canadian men who had previously attended psychotherapy participated in a cross-sectional survey, completing measures of the quality of their most recent therapeutic relationship, existential isolation, depression and anxiety symptoms, and suicidality. Regression with mediation analysis was conducted. Two models were tested; one with depression/anxiety symptoms as the dependent variable and the other with suicidality as the dependent variable. Both mediation models emerged as significant, indicating an indirect effect for quality of the therapeutic relationship on symptoms of anxiety/depression and suicidality through existential isolation. The findings suggest that a positive therapeutic relationship can contribute to men feeling less isolated in their experiences in life (i.e., less existentially isolated), thereby helping mitigate psychological distress and suicidality.
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Item"I could hang up if the practitioner was a prat": Australian men's feedback on telemental healthcare during COVID-19(PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2022-12-14)The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, uncertainties and management inconsistencies have been implicated in men's rising distress levels, which in turn have somewhat normed the uptake of telemental healthcare services (i.e., phone and/or video-conference-based therapy). Given past evidence of poor engagement with telemental health among men, this mixed-methods study examined Australian men's use of, and experiences with telemental health services relative to face-to-face care during the pandemic. A community sample of Australian-based men (N = 387; age M = 47.5 years, SD = 15.0 years) were recruited via Facebook advertising, and completed an online survey comprising quantitative items and open-response qualitative questions with the aim of better understanding men's experiences with telemental healthcare services. In total, 62.3% (n = 241) of participants reported experience with telemental health, and regression analyses revealed those who engaged with telemental health were on average younger, more likely to be gay and university educated. Men who had used telemental health were, on average, more satisfied with their therapy experience than those who had face-to-face therapy. Among those who had telemental healthcare, marginally lower satisfaction was observed among regional/rural based relative to urban men, and those who had to wait longer than 2 months to commence therapy. Qualitative findings highlighted positive aspects of telemental healthcare including comfort with accessing therapy from familiar home environments and the convenience and accessibility of telemental health alongside competing commitments and COVID-19 restrictions. Conversely, drawbacks included technical limitations such as crosstalk impeding therapeutic progress, disconnects and audio-visual lag-times and the 'impersonal' nature of telemental healthcare services. Findings broadly signal COVID-19 induced shifts norming of the use of virtual therapy services, with clear scope for improvement in the delivery of therapeutic practice using digital modalities, especially among help-seeking men.
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ItemChildhood Sexual Abuse in Boys and Men: The Case for Gender-Sensitive Interventions(EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING FOUNDATION-AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC, 2024-04)OBJECTIVE: To review the literature on the experiences of boys and men exposed to childhood sexual abuse, and to assess the implications of this literature for trials of interventions and tailored services for this population. METHOD: We conducted a narrative review of papers pertaining to boys and men exposed to childhood sexual abuse. Implications of this literature for treatment were critically appraised. RESULTS: Boys and men suffer the negative sequelae of childhood sexual abuse to the same (and sometimes greater) extent as girls and women. Boys and men also experience a number of unique challenges, as the abuse experience may undermine masculine identities and relations. This conflict may contribute to the underreporting of childhood sexual abuse among boys and men. Boys and men are less likely to disclose their abuse experience and wait longer to disclose compared to girls and women. Existing estimates therefore likely underestimate the prevalence of childhood sexual abuse among boys and men. Additionally, to date, intervention trials for individuals exposed to childhood sexual abuse have included a disproportionately low number of boys and men, even based on existing prevalence estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation into the treatment needs of boys and men exposed to childhood sexual abuse is critically important. To facilitate a better understanding of their needs, intervention studies for this cohort should include a greater proportion of boys and men. Studies should also assess the influence of boys' and men's alignments to masculine norms for moderating treatment outcomes as a means to guide gender-sensitive treatments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEngaging Men in Intimate Partner Relationship Programs: Service Provider and Stakeholder Perspectives(SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC, 2023-03)Men’s intimate partner relationship services have focused on correcting the behaviors of male perpetrators of intimate partner (IPV) and/or domestic violence (DV). There is a need to advance IPV and DV prevention efforts by better equipping men with relationship skills. This study explores service providers’ and stakeholders’ perspectives about the challenges and strategies for assisting men to build better intimate partner relationships. Interviews were conducted with participants ( n = 30) from Canada and Australia who worked in the men’s intimate partner relationships sector. Three themes were inductively derived: (a) crisis management (barriers to engagement), (b) owning deficits and leveraging strengths (engaging though accountability and action), and (c) me then we (self-work as requisite for relationship success). Using a gender relations lens, we examined the influence of masculinities on men’s intimate partner relationships and engagement with services. Participants described crisis management challenges for men accessing services including shame, threats to masculine identity, and mental health challenges. Owning deficits and leveraging strengths hinged on men’s accountability and action, rather than assigning blame for problematic behaviors in accessing services. Related to this, the me then we theme highlighted men’s strength-based approaches in focussing on self-work to develop tangible skills and awareness needed to build healthy relationships. Overall, the findings indicate men’s healthy relationships hinged on working with masculine identities to inform their perspectives and behaviors. Men’s intimate partner relationship work likely requires labor at multiple levels (e.g., individual, partners, and systems) to secure the strong potential for reframing masculine identities as asset-building for men’s relationships.
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