"There may be a problem, but I'm not going because…": examining classes of men and their rationales for not seeking mental health treatment

Background: Men are less likely than women to seek out mental health treatment, despite men also having mental health struggles.

Aim: We examined typologies of men's reasons for not seeking treatment even though they perceived a need for treatment.

Method: We conducted a latent class analysis using a U.S. national sample of 836 men who specifically indicated a need for mental health services, but did not seek treatment from the National Study on Drug Use and Health.

Results: We identified three distinct types of men and their unique rationales for not seeking treatment: positive attitudes class, perceived high behavioral control class, and negative attitudes class.

Conclusions: Unique strategies to market clinical services to each of the various needs and concerns of these types of men may prove more beneficial than a generic outreach approach. We encourage mental health professionals to proactively educate men about their services and aim to reduce barriers for men seeking treatment.