Men’s Mental Health Matters
The Impact of Traditional Masculinity Norms on Men’s Willingness to Seek Mental Health Support; a Systematic Review of Literature
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21748760 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Leshata Winter Mokhwelepa (0009-0009-3380-1318, University of Limpopo), Gsakani Olivia Sumbane (0000-0003-0483-1509, University of Limpopo) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Men s Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1557-9883 • E-ISSN: 1557-9891 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/15579883251321670 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 29 |
| References cited | 66 |
Men’s mental health is a focus area for improving population health worldwide. Traditional masculine norms among men have been reported to make them more susceptible to mental health issues. This study aims to review existing literature on how traditional masculinity norms influence men’s willingness to seek mental health support. This review followed stages of systematic review. The review search was initiated in February 2024. The search process was conducted on electronic databases such as PubMed, PsycINFO, Science Direct, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies published in English between 2000 and 2024. The search terms included “traditional masculinity norms,” “men’s mental health,” “help-seeking behavior,” and “barriers to mental health care.” Studies were selected based on their relevance to the topic. The inclusion criteria were studies focusing on adult men and examining the relationship between traditional masculinity norms and mental health help-seeking behaviors. Exclusion criteria included studies focusing on children, adolescents, or women and nonempirical articles. Data extraction covered study details, design, population characteristics, and key findings. This study included 47 relevant studies. Two key themes emerged, namely: masculinity and mental health (impact on mental health); and barriers to seeking help. Traditional masculinity norms significantly deter men from seeking mental health support, highlighting the need for culturally sensitive interventions that address these barriers
Creating a Household Gender Inequality Instrument for Investigating Gendered Health Disparities in the US
When the Heart Breaks the Rhythm
More than a job
Intersectional differences in access to sexual and reproductive health information among the Zezuru and Karanga peoples in Zimbabwe
Sociodemographic and Geographic Influences of Mental Health Literacy
The role of activity engagement, social connection, and masculinity norms in men's shed outcomes for male mental health
The role of music therapy and music-based interventions in male mental health
Mental health of young adults in South Africa
A gendered network analysis of somatic, psychological, and healthcare utilization patterns among parents of service members in wartime
Advancing workplace mental health equity in post-apartheid South Africa
A latent profile analysis of health behaviors among rural patients with ischemic stroke in China
The Demography of Mortality Disadvantage Among Male U.S. Veterans in Later Life
Indirect Associations of Perceived Stress and Sleep Quality in the Relationship Between Andropause Symptoms and Quality of Life Among Middle-Aged Men
Unmasking Masculinity
“Strong Enough to Suffer”
Black play matters
Dyadic Coping as a Moderator for the Relationship between Stress and Health Habits
The Italian version of the Dominance Scale
No One Wins
Emotion regulation strategies among young men in rural areas and urban informal settlements in South Africa
Internalised Struggles Faced by Boys and Men
Profiling and outcomes of medically indigent patients in Southwest China
Negotiating existential conflicts in later life
Financial Hardship and Psychological Distress Among Indigenous Children
Child maltreatment and premature mortality in the United States
Psychological Well-Being Among Older Chinese Migrants in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Perceived housing inadequacy and health
(Re)constructing Intersectional Masculinities Following Myocardial Infarction
Involving men in healthy masculinity and gender equity promotion
Male gender role conflict and willingness to seek counseling
Meta-analyses of the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and mental health-related outcomes.
“Boys don't cry”
Masculinity, Social Connectedness, and Mental Health
Barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking for young elite athletes
Young Men, Help-Seeking, and Mental Health Services
Body Image Concerns of Gay Men
“Man points”
Optimising the value of the critical appraisal skills programme (Casp) tool for quality appraisal in qualitative evidence synthesis
The role of masculinity in men's help-seeking for depression
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
Männer, Depression und „männliche Depression”
Dimensions of Masculine Norms, Depression, and Mental Health Service Utilization
Covid-19 and MENtal Health
Masculinity and stigma among emerging adult military members and veterans
Internal and External Barriers to Help Seeking
Explaining the relation between masculinity and stigma toward mental illness
Gender and mental illness stigma
Evaluation of a male-specific psychotherapeutic program for major depressive disorder compared to cognitive behavioral therapy and waitlist
Masculinity and Help-Seeking Among Men With Depression
A Review of Research on Masculinity Ideologies Using the Male Role Norms Inventory
Impact of Gender Role Conflict, Traditional Masculinity Ideology, Alexithymia, and Age on Men's Attitudes Toward Psychological Help Seeking
Male Restrictive Emotionality and Evaluations of Online Versus Face-to-Face Counseling
Conformity to masculine norms, Asian values, coping strategies, peer group influences and substance use among Asian American men
The Masculine Depression Scale
Addressing the influence of hegemonic masculinity on veterans through brief dynamic interpersonal therapy
An evaluation of the Health Behavior Inventory-20 (HBI-20) and its relationships to masculinity and attitudes towards seeking psychological help among college men
Man up!”
Men are not raised to share feelings” Exploring Male Patients’ Discourses on Participating in Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Masculinity Priming
The Efficacy of Alexithymia Reduction Treatment
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Ten Years of Psychological Research on Men and Masculinity in the United States
College Alcohol Use and the Embodiment of Hegemonic Masculinity among European American Men
Masculinity and Mental Well-Being
Measuring Masculinity in Research on Men of Color
Taking It Like a Man
Adherence to Masculine Norms and Depressive Symptoms in Young Black Men
Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help seeking
Development of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory
It's caveman stuff, but that is to a certain extent how guys still operate
Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men's well-being
Men's accounts of depression
Help-seeking prior to male suicide
Beyond the caveman
Rethinking the sociology of stigma
Hegemonic Masculinity
| Unique citing works | 29 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 29 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 26 |