Man up! The mental health-feminine stereotype and its effect on the adoption of mental health apps

Abstract

Mental illnesses are among the most frequent health conditions worldwide, affecting both men and women. However, we find that men are more likely than women to avoid adopting mobile apps that are designed to promote users' mental health. Building on previous research that men are often more motivated than women to behave in gender-congruent ways, we suggest that there exists a mental health-feminine stereotype that acts as an obstacle to men's adoption of mental health apps. Privacy and self-help features offered by digital mental health apps are insufficient to overcome the mental health-stereotype that deter men from pursuing mental health support. Across five studies, we show that consumers feel more feminine when adopting mental health apps, and perceive others who adopt mental health apps to be more feminine than those who do not. We also show that presenting mental health apps in a masculine frame increases the likelihood of men adopting mental health apps, especially those with stronger adherence to traditional masculinity ideology.