MEN’S GROUP PROPOSAL

“Strength in Connection: Building Resilience Together”

577 Final Project

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577 Final Project ～

Rationale & Target Population

Justification for the group's necessity, supported by data, and a description of the intended population (e.g., age, group composition).

Group Rationale:

Target Population:

✤ Adult, Cisgendered Men

✤ Approximate Ages: 25 - 55

✤ Shared Concerns: social isolation & lack of belonging, depression & suicidal ideation, fear & stigma around seeking mental health support

✤ Voluntary participation & interest in peer support

✤ Homogenous group regarding gender & sex

✤ Open to diverse demographics regarding race, ethnicity, SES, sexuality, & religion

✤ No prior relationships with other group members

According to the CDC, men are 4 times more likely to die by suicide than women. Social isolation & lack of belonging, underlying mental health issues like depression, & the way men seek out and receive mental health support are all factors that increase men’s risk of suicide. Asking for help can pose a threat to traditional gender norms and masculine expectations. For this reason, I think it is crucial that we rethink the way we are offering support to the men in our communities.

Group work has been shown to be an effective way for men to both give and receive support. Many men report that they are able to share more openly in group settings because they do not have to maintain the same expectations or roles as they do in their daily life. This mixed psychoeducational, peer support group will address a gap within mental health care for men by responding to their needs and increasing their protective factors against mental illness and suicide.

Group Type & Format

Group Type:

Explanation of the chosen group type (e.g., counseling, support) and the structure of the group sessions.

Group Session Format:

4 Weeks of Weekly, 90 Minute Sessions

✤ Welcome & Group Agreements (5 mins)

✤ Check-In (10 mins)

✤ Psychoeducational Component (30 mins)

✤ Peer-Support Discussion (30 mins)

✤ Action Step & Closing Reflection (10 mins)

✤ Wrap-Up (5 mins)

Mixed Group

✤ Peer Support: The peer group format enables men to both give and receive support. It aligns with masculine values of autonomy and self-control by keeping power within the hands of the members. Additionally, it allows participants to utilize their time in the way they deem most important.

✤ Psychoeducational: Psychoeducation allows the facilitators to provide valuable information that benefits members long after the group ends. Given the focus on suicide prevention, it is crucial to educate members about this topic and equip them with the necessary resources to cope effectively.

Group Leadership:

✤ Co-Leadership - Split Responsibility

✤ Male Leader: Peer Support

✤ Female Leader: Psychoeducation

✤ Having two co-leaders provides diversity in perspective, as well as increased accountability. This is especially important in this group as the leaders need to be aware of the ways that traditional masculine norms impact the members, themselves, and the concepts being discussed.

Goals & Objectives

Specific goals and measurable objectives for the group.

Goals:

✤ Foster a sense of connection, belonging, purpose, & meaning among members

✤ Normalize conversations about mental health & encourage help-seeking behaviors

✤ Empower members through psychoeducation & enhance resilience

✤Increase awareness of how masculinity & gender norms affect member’s mental health & well-being

✤ Educate members on the risk & protective factors of suicide, as well as common mental health concerns

✤ Teach members how to effectively access mental health resources & social supports

Objectives:

✤ Create opportunities for members to share experiences that highlight common struggles and strengths, fostering mutual understanding.

✤ Facilitate discussions to identify and debunk stigmas about mental health and masculinity.

✤ Deliver weekly psychoeducational sessions on topics like cultivating belonging, mental health & suicide risk factors, navigating gender norms, & accessing mental health care

✤ Engage members in reflective activities to challenge unhealthy gender norms and develop healthier expressions of identity and emotion.

✤ Provide a list of local and national mental health resources, including crisis hotlines, therapists, and community services.

Logistics

Details on the duration of the group, session length, and scheduling.

For the purposes of this project, the group is scheduled to run for 4 weeks. It would also be appropriate & potentially more effective to run for a total of 6 weeks. This would give the group more time to build trust & cohesion, as well as cover additional psychoeducational concepts.

5 - 7 Total Group Members

4 Weeks of Weekly, 90 Minute Sessions Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 PM

scheduled after business hours

✤ Welcome & Group Agreements (5 mins)

✤ Check-In (10 mins)

✤ Psychoeducational Component (30 mins)

✤ Peer-Support Discussion (30 mins)

✤ Action Step & Closing Reflection (10 mins)

✤ Wrap-Up (5 mins)

Ethical & Practical Considerations

Considerations for ethical issues and potential challenges related to the population.

Special Ethical Considerations:

✤ Individuals experiencing severe mental health concerns and/or current suicidal ideation may need a higher level of care than this group can provide

✤ Masculinity and gender norms are influenced by society and culture and therefore may be viewed and experienced differently by each member

✤ Many men are faced with negative responses and experiences when seeking help so be considerate about how previous instances may impact their willingness to access care

Expected Benefits:

✤ Enhance social connectedness through practicing vulnerability & emotional expression with group members

✤ Become a resource & support for other men struggling with similar issues

✤ Decrease risk of suicide and other mental health issues through the cultivation of protective factors

Potential Difficulties:

✤ Individuals may be reluctant to join or participate in the group due to the stigma around vulnerability & help-seeking behaviors

✤ Group discussions may touch on sensitive issues, which can be challenging and cause distress

✤ Conversations regarding suicide awareness & prevention may bring up previous trauma or emotional distress & must be handled with care

Recruitment & Screening

Methods for recruiting members and a pre-screening protocol.

Recruitment Flyer

Consent Form:

Screening Procedure:

Group Sessions & Intervention Strategies

Outline of the planned interventions, referencing evidence-based programs or custom-developed approaches. Development of at least four group session plans.

Group Plans:

Intervention Strategies:

✤ Research indicates that the most effective coping behaviors utilized by men are “practical solutions” and involve “problem solving”. For this reason, a solutions-focused and strength-based approach will be utilized throughout the sessions. The psychoeducation will be focused on practical and applicable strategies. We will open the peer support portion of the sessions with discussing how that week’s psychoeducation concept can directly apply to each member’s daily life.

Evaluations

Develop methods for evaluating the group's effectiveness through process, perception, and outcome data.

Group Evaluation:

References

  1. CDC. (2024, April 25). Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide. Suicide Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/risk-factors/index.html

  2. Cramer, H., Horwood, J., Payne, S., Araya, R., Lester, H., & Salisbury, C. (2013). Do depressed and anxious men do groups? What works and what are the barriers to help seeking? Primary Health Care Research & Development, 15(03), 287–301. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1463423613000297

  3. Keohane, A., & Richardson, N. (2017). Negotiating Gender Norms to Support Men in Psychological Distress. American Journal of Men’s Health, 12(1), 160–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988317733093

  4. QPR Institute. (2019). QPR Institute | Practical and Proven Suicide Prevention Training. Qprinstitute.com. https://qprinstitute.com/

  5. Vickery, A. (2022). “It’s made me feel less isolated because there are other people who are experiencing the same or very similar to you”: Men’s experiences of using mental health support groups. Health & Social Care in the Community, 30(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13788