Men’s Mental Health
Supporting men’s mental health can be complex, with barriers like shame, reluctance to seek help, and the challenges of discussing emotional struggles. Your role is crucial in helping men take the first steps towards better mental health.
Key Insights:
Shame & Emotional Struggles: Many men may not identify with the term ‘trauma.’ Instead, discuss their emotional struggles or life challenges, which may resonate more. Acknowledge that coming to see you might already have been a difficult step for them.
Language Tips: Use empathetic, non-judgmental language such as “It’s okay to feel this way” to create a safe and open environment.
Assessment Tools:
- DASS-21: This tool is useful for assessing depression, anxiety, and stress, but it may overlook symptoms like irritability, which are common in men.
- K10: A short questionnaire that assesses psychological distress. It’s helpful in gauging the overall mood but should be supplemented with further inquiries.
Limitations & Additional Considerations:
While these tools provide a starting point, they may miss critical symptoms in men, such as irritability, increased conflict or fighting, and sleep disturbances. After initial assessments, be sure to ask about these areas, as well as relationship conflict, substance use, and signs of a potential relationship breakdown. These factors are particularly important given the elevated risk of suicide in men under 45.
Treatment Options:
CBT & ACT: Effective for addressing thought patterns and emotional regulation.
EMDR: Useful for processing distressing life events.
Supportive Therapy: Focuses on building resilience and providing ongoing emotional support.
Non-Traditional Settings: Consider offering sessions outside the clinic, like walking and talking therapy, to help men feel more comfortable.
Online Services to Recommend:
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78 – 24/7 telephone and online counselling.
Support for Fathers: Offers resources for fatherhood and mental health.
The Fathering Project: Promotes positive fathering behaviours and engagement.
Encourage your male patients to explore these resources and consider integrating these assessment tools and therapeutic approaches into your practice to better support their mental health.
When to Refer Clients to Couples Therapy?
it’s not always straightforward to decide when a client might benefit more from couples therapy rather than individual sessions, or maybe they need both. As the first point of contact, your relationship with the client is very powerful and influential.
Reasons Couples Avoid Therapy and Why You Shouldn’t Wait
A major reason people avoid couples therapy is the fear of being blamed. They worry that the therapist will point fingers, or that they’ll leave feeling worse about themselves. But therapy isn’t about assigning fault.
More Relationships Die By Ice Than By Fire
One of the most common complaints I hear from couples is that one or both of the partners feel lonely, or they are not important, or that the relationship itself is not important. Things get busy, like it gets hectic and over scheduled and the relationship takes a back seat. There is still love there, but sometimes it feels like strangers living together, the connection and fun is pushed aside by work, childcare, housework, social media, family, or friends.
Recent Comments