Beyond the barriers: A digital screening tool to promote communication and help-seeking for the mental health of men in the primary care setting

Background:
There is a significant difference between the number of men experiencing mental health problems and those seeking treatment. Gender-specific barriers contribute to this, including adherence to stereotypical concepts of masculinity and social norms, internalised stigma of mental illness, low mental health literacy, as well as difficulties recognising and communicating about mental health problems. By uncovering these gender-specific biases and barriers, the knowledge can be directly implemented into clinical practice to improve screening procedures for men’s mental health.

The lack of help-seeking often results in general practitioners being the first formal point-of-contact for men’s mental health concerns. The primary care setting therefore presents a key opportunity for early mental health detection. The overarching goal of this project is to: (a) investigate the barriers and facilitators associated with men’s communication and help-seeking for mental health; and (b) develop and evaluate a digital tool for screening the mental health of men in the primary care setting.

Method:
This project applies a multiphase, mixed-methods design. First, a questionnaire survey will investigate sex- and gender-related differences in mental health and help-seeking behaviour in German-speaking Switzerland. Second, interviews and focus groups with male patients and general practitioners will explore the lived experiences of barriers and facilitators to mental health help-seeking, as well as input on their needs and design preferences for the digital screening tool. Finally, these findings will inform the development and evaluation of the digital screening tool for men’s mental health, which will be tested in primary care settings. Throughout the project, we will apply a co-creation approach involving all relevant persons, including our interprofessional team, people with lived experience, and partners from healthcare industry, research, and practice.