Older men’s informal coping practices for maintaining mental wellbeing: the importance of social connections and community groups

Abstract

This chapter examines older men’s informal coping practices for maintaining mental wellbeing. It considers the ways in which varying masculine identities influence older men’s coping practices, and how older men may reinforce or reconstruct hegemonic masculinity. When examining older men’s experiences of mental health, it is important to recognise the unique challenges older men may face in maintaining or redefining masculine identity, as well as how masculinity might change across the life course. As such, older men may have different and more informal mental health coping strategies. In focusing on older men’s coping practices, this chapter identifies older men’s alternatives to professional support, including how social relationships and community connections can assist older men to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.