Men's peer support for mental health challenges: future directions for research and practice.

Sharp, P; Zhu, P; Ogrodniczuk, JS; McKenzie, SK; Seidler, ZE; Rice, SM; Oliffe, JL

Men's peer support for mental health challenges: future directions for research and practice.

Sharp, P

Zhu, P Ogrodniczuk, JS McKenzie, SK Seidler, ZE Rice, SM Oliffe, JL

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Publisher:: OXFORD UNIV PRESS
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Health Promot Int, 2024, 39, (3), pp. daae046
Issue Date:: 2024-06-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Sharp, P https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5616-3181
dc.contributor.author	Zhu, P
dc.contributor.author	Ogrodniczuk, JS
dc.contributor.author	McKenzie, SK
dc.contributor.author	Seidler, ZE
dc.contributor.author	Rice, SM
dc.contributor.author	Oliffe, JL
dc.date.accessioned	2025-01-15T05:00:40Z
dc.date.available	2025-01-15T05:00:40Z
dc.date.issued	2024-06-01
dc.identifier.citation	Health Promot Int, 2024, 39, (3), pp. daae046
dc.identifier.issn	0957-4824
dc.identifier.issn	1460-2245
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/183617
dc.description.abstract	Peer support has a long history of helping people navigate mental health challenges and is increasingly utilized within men's mental health promotion initiatives. Despite considerable research conceptualizing and evaluating peer support in various contexts, little is known about the gendered dimensions of men's peer support and mutual help for mental health. This article provides an empirically informed commentary on men's peer support and informal help-seeking preferences to make recommendations for future directions for research and practice. Research examining men's peer support is emergent and the available evidence suggests that there is potential to conceptually align with many men's values and preferences for mental health help-seeking. Peer support offers a non-clinical, strength-based adjunct to professional support that may aid men in navigating a range of mental health challenges. Consideration must be given to the influence of gender socialization and men's diverse experiences with developing and maintaining peer relationships. It should not be assumed that authentic and supportive relationships will naturally form when men congregate together. As a growing number of interventions and programs emerge targeted at boys and men, there are important opportunities to leverage these health promotion efforts to encourage and coach men to engage in mutual help. Opportunities for research and practice are discussed to better understand and harness the health-promoting potential of peer support for men's mental health.
dc.format	Print
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	OXFORD UNIV PRESS
dc.relation.ispartof	Health Promot Int
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1093/heapro/daae046
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.subject.classification	4206 Public health
dc.subject.classification	4407 Policy and administration
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Peer Group
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health
dc.subject.mesh	Social Support
dc.subject.mesh	Health Promotion
dc.subject.mesh	Men's Health
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Peer Group
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health
dc.subject.mesh	Social Support
dc.subject.mesh	Health Promotion
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Men's Health
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Peer Group
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health
dc.subject.mesh	Social Support
dc.subject.mesh	Health Promotion
dc.subject.mesh	Men's Health
dc.title	Men's peer support for mental health challenges: future directions for research and practice.
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	39
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2025-01-15T05:00:38Z
pubs.issue	3
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	39
utslib.citation.issue	3

Abstract:

Peer support has a long history of helping people navigate mental health challenges and is increasingly utilized within men's mental health promotion initiatives. Despite considerable research conceptualizing and evaluating peer support in various contexts, little is known about the gendered dimensions of men's peer support and mutual help for mental health. This article provides an empirically informed commentary on men's peer support and informal help-seeking preferences to make recommendations for future directions for research and practice. Research examining men's peer support is emergent and the available evidence suggests that there is potential to conceptually align with many men's values and preferences for mental health help-seeking. Peer support offers a non-clinical, strength-based adjunct to professional support that may aid men in navigating a range of mental health challenges. Consideration must be given to the influence of gender socialization and men's diverse experiences with developing and maintaining peer relationships. It should not be assumed that authentic and supportive relationships will naturally form when men congregate together. As a growing number of interventions and programs emerge targeted at boys and men, there are important opportunities to leverage these health promotion efforts to encourage and coach men to engage in mutual help. Opportunities for research and practice are discussed to better understand and harness the health-promoting potential of peer support for men's mental health.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/183617