What do men gain from listening to men's mental health podcast episodes?

Background

Although men are more likely to die by suicide than women, they are less likely to seek help when feeling suicidal. Masculine socialisation leaves men feeling stigmatised for their mental health problems. Researchers consider podcasts an efficient way to promote health information and offer social support to individuals who are unable to access services.

Methods

Nine male listeners of a UK based men's mental health podcast series were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Participants discussed their reflections of six podcast episodes and what they gained from listening. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Five interconnected themes were identified which described listener's reflections: understanding other men's lived experiences; facilitating male intimacy; combating male isolation; learning how to seek help and reflecting on a culture of positive masculinity.

Conclusions

The podcasts promote more inclusive, flexible versions of masculinity which encourage reflection on an individual's lived experience. Listening to men's mental health podcast episodes may provide a vehicle for men to initiate new ways of seeking informal help, reducing feelings of loneliness and fostering male intimacy. Recommendations on how the findings of this research can assist podcast creators develop episodes promoting flexible masculinity are discussed.