Men, masculinity and the new coronavirus: sharing gender issues in the first phase of the pandemic

This article presents reflections on masculinity and the social construction of gender - based on the global phenomenon of the new coronavirus pandemic - produced by researchers who are part of the national research team on comprehensive health care policy for men in Brazil. From a gender-based standpoint, the article contends that it is necessary to note that cis heteronormative male socialization is guided by three core issues: 1) the submission to practices of care of self and others; 2) the rejection of preventive health practices, due to a distorted matrix of risk perception (and a certain sense of “invulnerability”); 3) the domestic dynamics marked by postures of command, order, and honor. These dimensions of everyday life were profoundly upset in this first phase of the epidemic, in which confinement became the most recommended alternative. These issues are configured as recurring (though not recent) repertoires that glorify the central model of a male order that needs to become an object of reflection, insofar as they endanger the health of men and women and, more broadly, of the status quo of the accepted tenets of domestic and social order.

Read the full article here. 

National FREE 24/7 Crisis Services

Lifeline | 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service | 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline | 1800 55 1800
MensLine Australia | 1300 78 99 78
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service | 1800 512 348

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the lives of men. The present study investigated psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on a help-seeking sample of Canadian men, focusing on diverse aspects of their psychosocial well-being.

Methods: A cross-sectional, open survey study design was used. Canadian adult men who were visiting an eHealth depression resource (HeadsUpGuys.org) were recruited to complete an online survey. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations for continuous variables and frequency and percentages for categorical variables, were used to summarize survey responses. Regression analysis was utilized to identify factors associated with various mental health indicators (anxiety, depression, fear of COVID-19, suicidality). The Patient Health Questionnaire-4, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and item 9 (suicidality item) from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to assess the mental health indicators.

Results: A total of 434 men completed the study. Most respondents (79.3%; N = 344) indicated that their mental health was negatively affected by COVID-19, and two-thirds (65.5%; N = 284) conveyed that government-imposed physical distancing measures had negatively affected their mental health. Half the sample (51.2%; N = 222) reported at least moderate financial stress due to COVID-19. Nearly a third of respondents (31.1%; N = 135) reported that their current living situation has had a considerable or severe negative impact on their mental health since COVID-19. About two-fifths (37.7%; N = 94) of men felt that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their relationship with their intimate partner. Nearly a third of respondents who were in a relationship (30.9%; N = 77) reported that they engaged in some type of abuse (primarily verbal abuse, 22.9%; N = 57) toward their intimate partner during COVID-19, and more than a quarter (27.3%; N = 68) reported being abused by their intimate partner (also primarily verbal abuse, 22.5%; N = 56). Just under half (42.2%; N = 183) of the respondents indicated experiencing suicidal ideation.

Read the full article here. 

Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Rice, S. M., Kealy, D., Seidler, Z. E., Delara, M., & Oliffe, J. L. (2021). Psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study of online help-seeking Canadian men. Postgraduate Medicine.

National FREE 24/7 Crisis Services

Lifeline | 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service | 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline | 1800 55 1800
MensLine Australia | 1300 78 99 78
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service | 1800 512 348

This guide outlines how the design of health promotion programs should be based on research evidence that explores the complexity of links between men, masculinity and health, and be tailored to the respective audience.

This resource was developed in response to the need identified that migrant, refugee and CALD men had little understanding of services available or how they could access them.

This very useful checklist was produced by the Hawkesbury District Health Service as a series of prompts prior to medical appointments.

"Men need time and space to formulate responses to personal questions..."

In the modern era, many men spend inadequate time focusing upon healthy living. However, men are increasingly "connected" by email and mobile Internet devices, which are now commonplace at most socio-economic levels.