Masculinity and Mental Well-Being: The Role of Stigma Attached to Help-Seeking Among Men

The goal of the current study is to add to the literature on masculinity and mental well-being by examining the role of help-seeking self-stigma as a potential mediating mechanism linking conformity to masculine norms to depression and stress among men. Findings with a community sample of 326 U.S. men (aged 18–75 years old) revealed that greater endorsement of masculine norms was associated with greater help-seeking self-stigma. Additionally, help-seeking self-stigma significantly linked endorsement of masculinity norms to perceived stress, but not to depression. This study furthers our understanding of how gender roles may uniquely shape men’s mental health experiences through creating barriers to seeking treatment.