Men with Depression and Inpatient Mental Health Treatment: Professionals' Perspectives on Treatment Needs and Aims

Abstract

To meet mental health needs in men with depression, gender sensitive services are needed and recommended. Therefore, mental health professionals' views on care needs among men with depression that should be met by gender-sensitive services were assessed and consequences for inpatient treatment are considered. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 33 mental health professionals focusing on men's specific needs in depression treatment against the background of male gender role expectations. Qualitative Content Analysis was performed using MAXqda-Software. Men with depression benefit from individual talk with staff and structured activity during treatment. Men-only groups are assessed as enabling critical reflection of aspects of masculinity. Physical activities and handicraft enable men to examine their performance level. Services focusing on men's specific needs are assessed as helpful but largely inexistent. Expectations of social gender roles and their implications for mental health treatment should be considered in both mental health professional training and mental health treatment.