Mental health providers need to better engage men with depression
The approach to treating men with depression needs to change if their increased uptake of mental health services is to be successful, new research from the University of Sydney shows.听
The number of Australian men seeking clinical intervention to deal with depression has increased by approximately 10% in the last 10 years, says PhD candidate at the University鈥檚 Zac Seidler, but men still account for three quarters of Australia鈥檚 suicides and the overall number of suicides has remained static.
In new findings published in Mr Seidler says mental health clinicians need to change the way they deliver treatment if it鈥檚 to have an effective impact on the male suicide epidemic.
鈥淎 lot more of men now seek help but many aren鈥檛 engaging with their treatment and therefore don鈥檛 stay as long as they should,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith available data suggesting many men who commit suicide seek professional help beforehand, this is a critical period in many people鈥檚 lives, and one we ought to be getting right.鈥�
Based on in-depth interviews with 20 Australian men suffering mild to moderate depression, Mr Seidler鈥檚 research explored treatment regimens and found them wanting. Most clinicians mistakenly assumed clients understood the treatment process. Few gave their clients goals to work towards or outlined skills they could gain to deal with their depression.
鈥淭his perceived unstructured approach juxtaposed the action-oriented, functional treatment these men were seeking,鈥� Mr Seidler says.听
PhD candidate in the School of Psychology, Zac Seidler
鈥淚t would be more appropriate to use masculine traits like risk- taking and wanting to regain strength to our advantage. Men tend to want an idea of how treatment is going to work from the outset, a structured plan for working towards recovery, the power to gain skills that help them deal with depression and to feel in control of their lives.鈥�
Mr Seidler鈥檚 research shows most mental health strategies have a heavier emphasis on unstructured talk therapy. While offering some short-term benefits, many men participating in his research found a lack of structure and progress to be a waste of time and money. In some cases, they found a 鈥榯alkfest鈥� had a detrimental effect, making them angrier.
Clinicians need to think more about the processes around delivering treatment like the clinical relationship and communication, rather than the treatments themselves, Mr Seidler鈥檚 paper 鈥�Men in and out of treatment for depression: Strategies for improved engagement鈥� concludes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a matter of fine-tuning,鈥� he says. 鈥淎 concerted effort towards active and empowering treatment should decrease the burden on clinicians through shorter treatment periods using a clear, structured approach. It should also increase men鈥檚 mental health literacy and equip them with the skills they need to deal with depression so they are prepared when the next crisis arises.鈥�
are currently creating a men鈥檚 mental health treatment training program for clinicians to help address some of the practical concerns raised by this research and to help ensure men get the treatment they want and need.
The paper co-authors comprise:听School of Psychology, The University of Sydney; Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne; School of Nursing, University of British Columbia; Black Dog Institute, The University of New South Wales; and Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-Based Decision-Making, The University of Sydney.