Identifying male college students' perceived health needs, barriers to seeking help, and recommendations to help men adopt healthier lifestyles

Seven focus groups at a university campus were formed to identify college men's health concerns, barriers to seeking help, and recommendations to help college men adopt healthier lifestyles. Content analysis was used to identify and organize primary patterns in the focus-group data. Results of the study revealed that the college men were aware that they had important health needs but took little action to address them. The participants identified both physical and emotional health concerns. Alcohol and substance abuse were rated as the most important issues for men. The greatest barrier to seeking services was the men's socialization to be independent and conceal vulnerability. The most frequently mentioned suggestions for helping men adopt healthier lifestyles were offering health classes, providing health information call-in service, and developing a men's center. Implications of the results are discussed.     

Understanding Men's Health and Illness: A Gender-relations Approach to Policy,Research, and Practice

Abstract

Men's health has emerged as an important public concern that may require new kinds of healthcare interventions and increased resources. Considerable uncertainty and confusion surround prevailing understandings of men's health, particularly those generated by media debate and public policy, and health research has often operated on oversimplified assumptions about men and masculinity. A more useful way of understanding men's health is to adopt a gender-relations approach. This means examining health concerns in the context of men's and women's interactions with each other, and their positions in the larger, multidimensional structure of gender relations. Such an approach raises the issue of differences among men, which is a key issue in recent research on masculinity and an important health issue. The gender-relations approach offers new ways of addressing practical issues of healthcare for men in college environments.     

What Do Men Want?

Abstract

Men play a key role in determining good sexual health outcomes for themselves and their sexual partners. However, many interventions and much of the programmatic focus and effort in reproductive and sexual health care delivery, are focused on women. This paper shows how international goals for development (the Millennium Development Goals), and international agreements on population and development (such as that agreed at the International Conference on Population and Development, Cairo,1994) cannot be met without the full and active involvement of men. We argue that achieving international goals and targets requires more than simply encouraging men to take more responsibility for their actions, it requires a detailed understanding of men's own concerns in the field of sexual health and a commitment to address those concerns to achieve better sexual health for all.

Using examples from south Asia, the paper explores the evidence surrounding the burden of men's sexual ill-health in the Region. We find that while public health programmes are (rightly) focused on controlling HIV (and sexually transmitted infections to some degree), evidence from population-based surveys of men across south Asia shows that men are most concerned with ‘psycho-sexual conditions’ including discharge syndromes, weakness, and erectile dysfunction. There is evidence that some of these conditions may be linked to higher rates of risk-taking and gender-based violence in some men. We further review patterns of care seeking for men reporting these and other sexual health problems.

We conclude that the challenges facing public health professionals are how to ensure that men receive interventions which are appropriate (and affordable and accessible and of high quality) for addressing their own sexual health concerns whilst also meeting wider public health goals of improving population levels of sexual and reproductive health.     

Men's Reproductive and Sexual Health

Abstract

A broad definition of men's reproductive and sexual health (MRSH) includes medical (pathophysiological) matters such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), developmental anomalies, malignancy, trauma, and infertility. It also includes psychosocial concerns: sexuality, contraception, disease prophylaxis, developmental and lifecycle issues, tobacco and drug use, sexual identity and orientation, and partnership issues. College men, of whom a large majority are sexually active, have a range of MRSH needs, including some that are particular to their age and social environment. To reach men effectively requires approaches that are somewhat different from those used with women. Clinicians in college health services are in an excellent position to help young men recognize the importance of reproductive health and sexual responsibility. College health services therefore should offer men screening; clinical diagnosis and treatment for MRSH conditions; and information, education, and counseling services, in a manner designed to meet their unique needs.     

Predicting help-seeking behavior: The impact of knowing someone close who has sought help

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study sought to replicate and extend research on social facilitators of college student's help seeking for psychological problems. Participants: We collected data on 420 ethnically diverse college students at a large public university (September 2008–May 2010). Methods: Students completed a cross-sectional online survey. Results: We found that students who were aware of close others' (eg, family, friends) help seeking were two times more likely to have sought formal (eg, psychologist) and informal (eg, clergy) help themselves. Tests of moderation revealed the incremental effect (ie, controlling for help-seeking attitudes, internalizing symptoms, cultural demographics) of close others' formal help seeking was strong and significant for men (R² = 0.112), while it was negligible and nonsignificant for women (R² = .002). Conclusions: We discuss the importance for students—particularly men—to learn about close others' help seeking for facilitating their own help seeking during times of distress.     

A Meta-analysis of Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help

Abstract

Objective: The present study aims to examine gender differences in attitudes toward professional psychological help–seeking behavior and how gender differences could be affected by other cultural factor such as race. Participants: The authors selected studies that involved undergraduate and graduate students as samples, making the total number of participants in this meta-analysis 5,713. Methods: Statistical procedures were administrated by the MIX (Meta-analysis with Interactive eXplanations) program, which does meta-analyses. Results and Conclusions: The results indicated that gender itself was a significant predictor on attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. In addition, individual's cultural background (eg, Western versus non-Western ethnicity) moderated the gender differences on attitudes toward seeking professional psychological help. Practical implications for mental health professionals in college settings were discussed.     

Self-reported Barriers to Professional Help Seeking Among College Students at Elevated Risk for Suicide

Abstract

Objectives: This study sought to describe self-reported barriers to professional help seeking among college students who are at elevated suicide risk and determine if these barriers vary by demographic and clinical characteristics. Participants: Participants were 165 non–treatment seekers recruited as part of a Web-based treatment linkage intervention for college students at elevated suicide risk (from September 2010 through December 2011). Methods: Data were collected using Web-based questionnaires. Two coders coded students’ responses to an open-ended question about reasons for not seeking professional help. Results: The most commonly reported barriers included perception that treatment is not needed (66%), lack of time (26.8%), and preference for self-management (18%). Stigma was mentioned by only 12% of students. There were notable differences based on gender, race, and severity of depression and alcohol abuse. Conclusions: Efforts aimed at reaching students at elevated risk for suicidal behavior should be particularly sensitive to these commonly described barriers.     

Help Seeking and Treatment Use Among Suicidal College Students

Abstract

Objectives: Many suicidal college students do not receive mental health treatment, and the reasons for this are not fully understood. This study examines how attitudes, beliefs, and social network factors relate to help seeking among suicidal students. Participants: A random sample of 8,487 undergraduate and graduate students from 15 US universities participated. Methods: A Web-based survey administered in spring 2009 examined correlates of mental health service utilization among students reporting serious thoughts of suicide in the previous year (n = 543). Results: Correlates of treatment use included perceived need, beliefs that treatment is effective, contact with service users, lower personal stigma, higher perceived stigma, fewer positive relationships, and sexual minority or Caucasian identity. Conclusions: Help seeking among suicidal students is associated with a range of personal and social network factors. Campus strategies to enhance help seeking should be tailored to address identified facilitators and barriers to treatment use among target populations.     

Anal Cancer Screening: Barriers and Facilitators Among Ethnically Diverse Gay,Bisexual, Transgender,and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men

ABSTRACT

Knowledge and beliefs about anal cancer screening among gay and other men who have sex with men remains unclear, despite data that suggests significant risk for intra-anal HPV-related cancers. Nevertheless, community-based screening activities may be most effective when stakeholder perspectives are addressed. We conducted four focus groups among 16 male and 3 female health care advocates experienced in working with diverse gay and other men who have sex with men in Los Angeles. Barriers to anal cancer screening included lack of awareness, stigma, psychological and physical discomfort, the anus as hidden/private, primary concern with HIV, and men's lack of healthcare seeking. Facilitators were community screening sites, novel strategies such as home testing, health care system changes and targeted educational campaigns, which may increase anal cancer awareness and screening among ethnically diverse men who have sex with men.     

The Use of Cervical Caps at the University of California/Berkeley

Abstract

The higher rates of disease and death associated with male gender have been widely documented, yet little is being done in the college health setting to address men's health issues. Many of men's health risks are related to social isolation and prohibitions on showing weakness. The authors describe the Virginia Tech University experience with 3 Man Alive groups that were developed to (a) create a supportive social structure for male college students who may otherwise be socially isolated, (b) model healthy expression of emotions, such as anger, fear, sadness, and joy; (c) create a safe space for men to discuss sensitive issues, such as relationships with significant others, sexuality, and substance abuse.     

More Than Just Sex

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify behaviors in addition to those of an explicitly sexual or romantic nature that men and women define as unfaithful acts in the context of committed dating relationships. We also sought to identify possible gender differences in the proportions of men and women who have engaged in these unfaithful behaviors while in dating relationships. We examined 219 college men's and women's reported involvement in sexual behaviors, romantic attachments, sexual and nonsexual fantasies, sexual attraction, romantic attraction, flirting, and social participation in dyads and groups with someone other than their current or past dating partner. A sizable proportion of both men and women reported engaging in one or more of the behaviors at some point in their dating history. Proportionately more men than women indicated having engaged in sexual fantasies of various types about someone other than their primary partner and reported “hitting on” someone else while in a dating relationship. No other gender differences emerged. A unique aspect of this study is that we asked young men and women to determine what kinds of behaviors they considered to be unfaithful rather than only examining sexual and emotional behaviors as has been the case in past research. Further, the few significant gender differences we found indicates that the convergence of men's and women's attitudes about sexuality may now be show in their behavior.     

Understanding E-Mental Health Resources: Personality,Awareness, Utilization,and Effectiveness of E-Mental Health Resources Amongst Youth

The focus of this study is to replicate portions of the study by Neal, Campbell, Williams, Liu, and Nussbaumer (2011) to determine if their findings translate to Australian adolescents. Specifically, this study aims to: determine personality types as predictors of knowledge and utilization of e-mental health resources; identify subject usage rates of specific e-mental health resources; and identify subject views on the efficacy of these resources. Participants were an opportunistic sample of 1st-year university students (N = 176) between the ages of 18 and 25. A single session online survey was administered. The hypotheses that extroverted adolescents are less likely to have an awareness of e-mental health resources when compared to neurotic adolescents; and extroverted adolescents are less likely to engage in seeking help from e-mental health resources when compared to neurotic adolescents, were not supported. This study was unable to discern the efficacy of e-mental health resources or the sample's awareness of e-mental health resources. However, it was found that the sample was likely to engage in online help seeking behaviour for mental health concerns. Despite the limited findings, this study suggests several ideas that could be further explored.     

Seeking Help for Same-Sex Relationship Abuses

Abstract

Four hundred ninety-nine ethnically diverse gay men, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people were surveyed regarding use of resources to stop same-sex relationship abuses. Just over half (54%) reported seeking help, and most resources, with the exception of police, shelter and crisis hotlines, were considered helpful. When asked about perceived services needed, most participants focused on intra-psychic solutions rather than use of community or macrosystem institutions. Perceived or actual homophobia is the biggest barrier to seeking help. Women and people of color expressed a statistically significant preference for caregivers of the same gender and ethnicity, respectively, but indicated that this would not stop them from seeking assistance.     

Deficits in young men's knowledge about accessing sexual and reproductive health services

Objective: The current study aimed to examine (1) gender differences in college students' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health care (K-SRHC) service access points, and (2) the relationship between demographic and psychosocial factors and college students' overall K-SRHC service access points. Methods and Participants: Self-report online surveys were administered to 18- and 19-year-old college students from a northern California public university (N = 183; 39.9% men; 32.2% Latino). Results: Women reported higher overall K-SRHC service access point scores than men. Findings indicated that gender and family planning self-efficacy were the strongest correlates of K-SRHC service access points. Men with a regular source of health care had higher K-SRHC service access points than men without. Conclusions: Results suggest that college men need additional education about how to access sexual and reproductive health services to support their own and their partner's health.     

Infidelity Goes Online: Communicating About Sexual Health in Personal Ads When Seeking Extra-Dyadic Relationships on Craigslist

Abstract

Objectives: The present study explored married and partnered individuals’ ads on Craigslist seeking extra-dyadic sexual relationships. An analysis of the ads containing words related to health and safety was conducted to better understand the ways that individuals communicate about safe sex when seeking extra-dyadic relationships online. Methods: A total of 819 ads containing 6,279 words were analyzed. Thematic analysis revealed that the words used in the ads fell into 8 unique categories, with one category comprising words related to health and safety. Results: The results revealed that men seeking men used more words related to health and safety than men seeking women, women seeking men, and women seeking women, though ads within all 4 groups noted health and safety concerns. For men seeking women, broader issues of safety (often pertaining to meeting up) were also expressed, and for women seeking men, issues of discretion arose. Lastly, women seeking women were the only group to mention polyamorous or nonmonogamous relationships, in addition to expressing concerns about sexual safety. Conclusions: The findings revealed that partnered or married men seeking sexual activity with other men posted the most ads and had the largest percentages for several key words related to safe sex, though such concerns were also prevalent in the ads of men seeking women, women seeking women, and to a limited degree (given the small sub-sample), women seeking men. These results suggest that interventions should aim at encouraging individuals who seek relationships online to not only state safe sex preferences and concerns, but also to continue such conversations and implement safe sex behaviors in offline contexts.     

The Longitudinal Effects of a Rape-prevention Program on Fraternity Men's Attitudes,Behavioral Intent,and Behavior

Abstract

Rape myth acceptance, likelihood of raping, and sexually coercive behavior of 145 fraternity men randomly assigned to a control group or a rape-prevention program were surveyed. One third of 23 fraternities on a mid-Atlantic public university campus volunteered to participate in the study. The rape-prevention intervention consisted of “the men's program,” a victim empathy-based presentation titled “How to help a sexual assault survivor: What men can do.” Although no evidence of change in sexually coercive behavior was found, significant 7-month declines in rape myth acceptance and the likelihood of committing rape were shown among program participants. In the case of rape myth acceptance, the 7-month decrement remained lower in the participant group than in the control group. Implications of using these initial findings from the men's program for rape-prevention programming are discussed.     

Men in online eating disorder recovery spaces: Gendered barriers,content moderation,and narrative experimentation

Eating disorders (EDs), once considered solely a women's health problem, have increasingly affected men. Previous research on recovery from addiction has emphasized the importance of narratives, which help provide structure and make sense of events. While narratives are often important for an individual's recovery from hardship, hegemonic narratives can be invalidating and obstacles to wellbeing. The highly gendered nature of ED recovery narratives has posed a barrier to men adopting alternative, more successful narratives, particularly in female-dominated spaces. This study examines how content moderation policies and enforcement on Tumblr, Reddit, and an ED recovery website shape men's participation in ED recovery support groups dominated by women. We find that high degrees of moderation and censorship limit men's platform participation and narrative experimentation. However, platform rules without active censorship face the same challenges. Instead, narrative experimentation and greater participation from men occur during moderate regulation because they can share their experiences while also being encouraged to find salient aspects of other, healthier narratives. We observed that men were able to break from unhelpful recovery narratives when they could masculinize the suggestions from women with more productive approaches. While past research has shown that men are particularly reliant on hegemonic masculinity when their gender is challenged, we find that phenomenon is part of a more fundamental process of reconciling ideas into one's self-concept.     

Mental Health Treatment Barriers Among Racial/Ethnic Minority Versus White Young Adults 6 Months After Intake at a College Counseling Center

Abstract

Objective: This study examined mental health treatment barriers following intake at a counseling center among racially/ethnically diverse college students. Methods: College students (N = 122) seen for intake at a college counseling center in 2012–2013 completed self-reports of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and mental health treatment barriers 6 months later. Results: Racial/ethnic minority students less often reported previous mental health treatment and treatment after being seen at the counseling center, compared with white students. They also endorsed more treatment barriers—most commonly, financial concerns and lack of time—and more often endorsed stigma-related concerns. Treatment barriers were associated with not following through with counseling center recommendations and with greater depressive symptom severity but not with suicidal ideation during follow-up. Conclusions: Improving mental health treatment seeking among racial/ethnic minority college students should involve decreasing treatment barriers, improving access to affordable options, providing flexible scheduling or time-limited options, and decreasing stigma.,     

Understanding barriers to healthy behaviors in black college men

Objective: Due to the short life expectancy of black men, it is important to understand what impacts health behaviors in this group so that interventions and programs can be developed to improve their health behaviors which may help in increasing the life expectancy of black men. The purpose of this study was to understand what perceived barriers exist for black college men that prevent them from engaging in healthy behaviors. Participants and Methods: Thirty-five black male students at a southern Historically Black College and University participated in five focus groups and four interviews. A qualitative analysis was used to analyze data for similar themes and codes. Results: Perceived barriers to engaging in healthy behaviors appear to be influenced by image, food cost, and education. Cues to action for not engaging in healthy behaviors appear to be related to role models. Conclusions: Black college men are not adequately informed or educated about elements that can impact their health and how they can improve it. College administrators and researchers should develop interventions that include elements of increasing health knowledge and age-appropriate role models to improve health behavior change among this group.