Masculinity and Mental Health: Issues for Clinicians

As society changes and evolves, so do the traditional roles for females and males. As such, it is important to better understand what it means to be a man (or boy) today to better support the issues with which patients present.

For instance, there has been much research about the psychiatric and mental health issues associated with becoming a mother, but less attention has been paid to the impact on men as they enter fatherhood. Similarly, the idea of asking for help has traditionally been difficult for men.

Psychiatric Times^TM teamed up with our partner, the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA), and here, Daniel Singley, PhD, shares some of the issues in paternal mental health, helping men go from “dudes to dads,” and understanding the evolving roles of men and boys in society.

To learn more about men’s mental health or access mental health resources, visit ADAA.org.

Dr Singley is a psychologist and director and founder of the Center for Men’s Excellence. His research and practice focus on men’s mental health with a particular emphasis on reproductive psychology and the transition to fatherhood. He currently serves on the Board of the American Psychological Association’s Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, as well as Postpartum Support International.