Mapping Men's Mental Health Help-Seeking After an Intimate Partner Relationship Break-Up

Bibliographic Data

ID4620217
AuthorsJohn L Oliffe (0000-0001-9029-4003, University of British Columbia, corresponding author), Mary T Kelly (0000-0002-8666-8567, University of British Columbia), Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner (0000-0002-8321-6688, University of British Columbia), Zac E Seidler (0000-0002-6854-1554, Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia), David Kealy (0000-0002-3679-6085, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada), John S Ogrodniczuk (0000-0002-3531-9033, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada), Simon M Rice (Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia), Simon Rice (0000-0003-4045-8553, Orygen, Parkville, VIC, Australia)
Year2022
Volume32
Issue10
Pages1464-1476
Publication date2022-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Health Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-7323 • E-ISSN: 1552-7557
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/10497323221110974
PMID35758178
OpenAlexW4283518614
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited38

Deleterious effects of separation and divorce on men's mental health are well-documented; however, little is known about their help-seeking when adjusting to these all-too-common life transitions. Employing interpretive descriptive methods, interviews with 47 men exploring their mental health help-seeking after a relationship break-up were analyzed in deriving three themes: (1) Solitary work and tapping established connections, (2) Reaching out to make new connections, and (3) Engaging professional mental health care. Men relying on solitary work and established connections accessed relationship-focused self-help books, online resources, and confided in friends and/or family. Some participants supplemented solitary work by reaching out to make new connections including peer-based men's groups and education and social activities. Comprising first-time, returning, and continuing users, many men responded to relationship break-up crises by engaging professional mental health care. The findings challenge longstanding commentaries that men actively avoid mental health promotion by illuminating wide-ranging help resources

Health promotion · Help-seeking · Mental health · Psychiatry · Public health · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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