Men's health, well-being and experiences of care

Men's health is men's physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease, and men may be more likely to make risky choices and less likely to seek care. What can we understand about the ways masculinity and connection shape men's health? The lessons consider how these themes relate to mental well-being, fatherhood, and experiences of care.

3 articles, 1 book · about 26 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   men's health issues · Wikipedia · 17 min read

   Identifying warning signs is important for reducing suicide rates worldwide, particularly for men, because distress may be hard to discern. Depression and suicidal thoughts may manifest as anger, hostility, and irritability. Fathers experience stress shortly before and after birth, with stress levels tending to increase from the prenatal period until birth and then decrease later in the postnatal period. Worldwide, men died by suicide at a ratio of 1.8:1 per woman in 2016, according to the World Health Organization. The disparity varies greatly between countries, and pressures from traditional gender roles and men's socialization are among the factors that contribute to it.

2. Read
   

   Is the Drive to Be Masculine Hurting Your Mental Health? · Greater Good Magazine · 6 min read

   The study found that, among men, only three of the 11 dimensions seem substantially, negatively related to mental health: "self-reliance," "playboy," and "power over women." "Self-reliance" may cut men off from social connection, while "playboy" and "power over women" are associated with hostility toward women; "playboy" is also associated with hostility to gay men.

3. Read
   

   How does prostate cancer treatment affect mental health? - Harvard Health · Harvard Health Blog · 3 min read

   Prostate cancer survivors commonly struggle with loss of masculine self-esteem and changes in body image, even as doctors manage side effects and many men recover to some degree. Many survivors describe feeling rushed into treatment decisions without enough up-front discussion of potential side effects, leading to regrets or second-guessing later on.

4. Book
   

   The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love · Bookshop.org

   The Will to Change by bell hooks analyzes patriarchal stereotypes of masculinity and their effects, then presents reflective, constructive ideas for alternative images of masculinity.

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