Traditional Masculinity and Men's Psychological Help-Seeking: A Meta-Analysis

ÜZÜMÇEKER E.

International Journal of Psychology, vol.60, no.2, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)

  • Publication Type: Article / Review
  • Volume: 60 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2025
  • Doi Number: 10.1002/ijop.70031
  • Journal Name: International Journal of Psychology
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, IBZ Online, Periodicals Index Online, Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MLA - Modern Language Association Database, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, SportDiscus
  • Keywords: gender role conflict, gender role strain paradigm, meta-analysis, psychological help-seeking, traditional masculinity ideology
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Men are less likely than women to seek professional help for mental health issues. One significant factor linked to men's lower rates of psychological help-seeking is traditional masculinity. This research presents meta-analyses of the associations between men's attitudes and self-stigma toward psychological help-seeking and masculinity ideology and gender role conflict across 35 samples. It is found that a higher endorsement of traditional masculinity is correlated with negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking, r = −0.379, p < 0.001, and higher self-stigma of psychological help-seeking, r = 0.351, p < 0.001. Similarly, higher gender role conflict is correlated with negative attitudes toward psychological help-seeking, r = −0.211, p < 0.001, and higher self-stigma of psychological help-seeking, r = 0.300, p < 0.001. The scale used to measure traditional masculinity, country (US/non-US) and the sample type (community/college) did not moderate these relationships. These results support the Gender Role Strain Paradigm's conceptualization of the association between traditional masculinity and men's psychological help-seeking.