ABSTRACT
The field of men’s mental health is gaining momentum as clinicians and researchers from an array of healthcare disciplines attempt to better understand and address many men’s reticence to seek professional help (Galdas, Cheater, & Marshall, 2005). The economic and social burden of men’s psychiatric illness and suicide (Swanson, 2002), substance overuse (Whiteford et al., 2013), and physical violence (Hester et al., 2015) points to a need to advance prevention efforts and drastically improve service engagement among men. Moreover, the refinement of men’s mental health promotion and treatment should be informed—and ultimately evaluated—using empirical research. This chapter provides a sketch of the current landscape regarding initiatives aimed at enhancing men’s engagement in mental health services and interventions tailored to men’s needs. The chapter is based on the understanding that men’s mental health is an interdisciplinary healthcare issue, requiring attention and action from researchers and clinicians of diverse backgrounds in order to bring about meaningful change.
