innovation in men’s mental health
TRANSCRIPT
Innovation in Men’s Mental HealthUsing Humor, Media & Digital Engagement
Sally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D.Speaker. Trainer. Change Agent
www.SallySpencerThomas.com [email protected]
m
• Why working
aged men?
• Why innovation?
• New Programs
• Collaborative
Crisis Response
Planning
Goals
Carson Spencer 1969-2004
4OUT OF
EVERY5PEOPLE WHO DIE
BY SUICIDE
ARE MEN
Surviving a suicidal act is
considered “un-masculine”Gender Roles
Note: Masculinity is not a stable, internal, trait-like construct (variability)
[1] Canetto, S. S., and Lester, D. (1995a). Women and suicidal behavior: Issues and dilemmas. New
York: Springer.
[2] White, J., & Stillion, J. M., (1988). Sex differences in attitudes toward suicide: Do males stigmatize
males? Psychology of Women Quarterly, 12, 357-372.
• DSM-IV misses the mark=under-diagnosis
• Fatigue and Sleep Disorder – reported as and treated from medical symptom
perspective
• Irritability/anger/violence/Impulsivity - seen “acting out”
• Lowered stress tolerance
• Loss of interest
• Alcohol and drug abuse and other “vices” – seen as congruent with male
ideologies
“Male-depression syndrome” or masked depression
Walinder, J. & Rutz, W. (2000)
Stages of Help-Seeking
Symptom Perception
Denial, under-
evaluation,
normalization
Self-medication
Information to significant others
Referral to lay system
Referral to medical care system
Self-
initia
ted
Self-
initia
ted
Initia
ted b
y
oth
ers
Illness is a threat to masculinity
Help-seeking is a threat to masculinity
Moller-Leimkuhler, 2002
Why InnovationOVERCOMING A BRANDING PROBLEM
• It is better than what they are currently doing
• It is compatible with social norms
• It is simple
• They can try it out first
• They see others doing it…
“Easy, fun, popular….”
People adopt new behaviors when…
~Paul Quinnett
National Fatherhood Campaign
Know your audience: Who are the “double jeopardy" men?Primary Audience: Men, ages 25 to 54
• Many risk factors
• Least likely to seek help on own
• Stoic & self-reliant
• Traditional masculine norms
• Risk taking/fearless
MAN THERAPY™
Strategic Partnership
“Find stories of other men with ‘vicarious credibility’
who have struggled and recovered.”
“Just being a man leads to choices that are damaging to mental health [talking about male norm-congruent vices that are self-medicating]”
“People with mental disorders are seen [by many
men] as unstable, unreliable, lazy, poor performers,
or sick…so we make fun of mental illness as a
source of coping, distancing.”
“[When I was depressed] I was a destruction
machine – drinking, fighting, driving drunk –
death? Who cares?”
“Can’t move a couch by yourself, can’t jump a car
by yourself – sometimes you just need a hand to
get over the big bumps in life.”
“Show me how to fix myself. How to stitch
up my own wound like Rambo.”
CONCLUSIONS:
• Soften the mental health language in initial
communication
• Use humor, particularly dark humor
• Show role models of hope and recovery
• Connect the dots: physical symptoms
• Meet men where they are
CONCLUSIONS (con’t)
• Target “double jeopardy men”
• Offer opportunities to give back & make meaning out of
the struggle
• Coach the people around the high-risk men
• Give men at least a chance to assess and “fix themselves”
THE SOLUTION
IDEALLY WE REACH MEN BEFORE THE POINT OF CRISIS
ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH UPSTREAM /
Depression
ViolenceSubstance
Abuse
1. Create social change among men and the general population about
mental health and overall wellness.
2. Empower men to take action/ownership of their mental healthy and
overall wellness through self-screening and outreach.
3. Reduce suicidal thoughts and deaths among men (long-term)
Goals of Man Therapy
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MAN THERAPY /VETERANS & ACTIVE DUTY /
COLLATERAL CREATIVE
DESIGN SHIFT FOR MILITARY AUDIENCE /
POSTER HEADLINES /
POSTER HEADLINES /
POSTER HEADLINES /
New First Responder Collateral /
Launch Party: Guys Night Out
July 9, 2012
Cactus © 2017 All Rights Reserved.
IMPACT TO DATE
• 79% Male
• 62% Ages 25 to 54
• 10% Military (1% active, 9% veteran)
• 39% “Because of me”
• 8% “For a friend or family member”
• 51% “Just curious”
Survey
• 83% would recommend Man Therapy to a friend in need
• 51% agree or strongly agree to being more likely to seek help
• 73% report the 18-pt Head Inspection helped direct them to
appropriate resources
• 78% were satisfied of very satisfied with Man Therapies
• 67% were satisfied or very satisfied with Tales of Triumph
Survey (con’t)
• 43% - Humor (light-hearted, fun, hilarious)
• 37% - Quality of site and features (fresh, creative, accessible, helpful,
honest, trustworthy, testimonials, interactive, branding, design,
authentic, engaging, illuminating)
• 17% - Manly (not too touchy feely, blunt, not feel like a wuss)
• 10% - Identify with Dr. M
• 2% - Reassuring / Relieving during experience
Survey – “One thing you liked…”
• 22% - No (“nope”, “nada”, “absolutely not”)
• 21% - Technology problems (bandwidth buffering, navigation, inability to print handouts, captioning
needed, typos)*
• 9% - More material needed (“Woman Therapy”, more resources than CO, more topics covered: PTSD,
spousal abuse, sexuality, prescription drug abuse, grief, chronic illness)
• 7% - Offensive, too many stereotypes, not funny
• 1% - Lack of Diversity
• 1% - Too spiritual
Survey – “Anything you didn’t like…”
* Most problems addressed/fixed
The use of humor with this topic is incredibly important. The last
place that a person struggling wants to go to is a 'sterile' site that
sucks out that last bit of dignity.
SURVEY – HUMOR
The relaxed, non-confrontational nature of the site, like a friend
saying hey, c'mon over, we'll shoot some pool and chill out, the sense
of acceptance and camaraderie.
SURVEY – ACCESSIBLE & ENGAGING
The gentleman talking me through the site was a very welcoming addition. After
the survey, his calm yet concerned voice was very reassuring, even if it was a
prerecorded speech. In a sense, it helped me calm down long enough to think
straight.
Weirdly, I feel as though the "virtual" counselor actually cares about me and that
makes me much more comfortable addressing my mental health issues.
SURVEY – RELATE TO DR. M
Manly. Was upset about recent stressful problems, got a laugh out
of this and helped gain perspective.
SURVEY – MANLY
At first I thought the use of stereotypes may be harmful, but that
it is meant to be ironic and to appeal to the men who are most likely
to avoid treatment. Keep up the good work!
SURVEY – STEREOTYPES
@sspencerthomas
A Man’s Journey
Learning, Loving and Living Through Life’s Challenges
THANK YOU!Stay connectedSally Spencer-Thomas, Psy.D.Speaker. Trainer. Change Agent
www.SallySpencerThomas.com
Facebook: @DrSallySpeaksTwitter: @sspencerthomas