Article Excerpt: An recent article published in BMC Psychiatry reports a mixed-methods study designed to explore young Australian men’s attitudes and behavior towards mental health and technology use to inform the development of online mental health services for young men. From a national online survey of 486 males (aged 16 to 24) and 17 focus groups involving 118 males (aged 16 to 24), results indicated that young men are less likely to seek professional help for themselves, citing a preference for self-help and action-oriented strategies instead. Most survey participants reported that they have sought help for a problem online and were satisfied with the help they received. The key challenge for online mental health services is to design interventions specifically for young men that are action-based, focus on shifting behavior and stigma, and not simply about increasing mental health knowledge. Furthermore, interventions should be user-driven, informed by young men’s views and everyday technology practices, and leverage the influence of peers.
Full Article: http://tinyurl.com/brx484p
Article Source: 7th Space Interactive