Engaging Older Adolescent Boys Into School-Based Mental Health Workshops

Testing Theory-Based Facilitators and Barriers in Focus Groups

Bibliographic Data

ID21748293
AuthorsStephen Lisk (0000-0002-3451-0696, King's College London, corresponding author), Ilyas Sagar-Ouriaghli (0000-0002-3014-3104, King's College London), Ben Carter (0000-0003-0318-8865, King's College London), Irene Sclare (South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust), Jennifer Holly (0000-0003-2492-1552, King's College London), June S L Brown (0000-0002-0479-8166, King's College London)
Year2023
Volume17
Issue5
Pages15579883231177975-15579883231177975
Publication date2023-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Men s Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1557-9883 • E-ISSN: 1557-9891
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/15579883231177975
PMID37822122
OpenAlexW4387562865
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited60

Untreated mental health problems continue from childhood and adolescence into adulthood, meaning accessible early intervention is essential to reduce long-term negative outcomes. However, there is often a reluctance to engage in mental health treatment, with considerable evidence that young men are less likely to seek help than young women. This original research study aimed to explore four areas of interest around facilitating engagement of adolescent boys to a stress workshop intervention for adolescents in U.K. schools. The areas explored were male role models, destigmatizing language, trust building, and using a transparent and collaborative approach. We also sought to understand the main barriers to engagement. To explore these areas of interest, two focus groups were run, with a total of 12 young men, over two regional sites (London and Bath). Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Participants particularly valued transparency and collaboration as strong facilitators to engagement. Building of trust was the next most popular. Use of role models and destigmatizing language were the joint third most popular methods. The main barrier to help-seeking identified was perceived threat to masculine identity (self and social stigma). Given these novel findings, the factors of transparency and collaboration and building trust as facilitators merit further research, among both adults and adolescents

Developmental psychology · Focus group · Mental health · Political science · Psychiatry · Sociology · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support

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