Exploring how to increase the engagement of young men to engage with mental health research.
Many men don’t engage with healthcare services, and young men in particular are often underrepresented in mental health research. This raises important questions: are services truly designed for men, and do they reflect men’s needs and experiences?
This is an NIHR Three Schools funded project that takes a proof of concept approach to exploring how we can better engage young men in mental health research. Using a mixed methods design, it brings together two innovative approaches:
By combining these methods, the project not only offers a fresh perspective on how young men see mental health services and what helps them to engage, but also builds a foundation for future funding applications at scale. The insights gained here will shape the design of larger studies and help create more effective,
Twelve young men took part in the project, sharing photographs, captions, and personal reflections on how to improve the engagement of their peers in mental health research. Although the project began with a focus on mental health research, it quickly became clear that the conversations reached far beyond this, opening up wider discussions around help-seeking, emotional expression, and the ways young men make sense of their mental health.
The project findings were showcased at a dissemination event attended by more than 50 delegates (with further information to follow), and a photobook was commissioned and printed to capture the 69 photographs and captions contributed by participants. A copy of the presentation slides and the photobook are provided below.
The findings are now being written up for publication, with further funding opportunities currently being explored to extend this work.