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Journal of Affective Disorders Dec 2021Anxiety disorders are amongst the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses amongst men; however male-specific anxiety research is lacking. This review explores men's... (Review)
Review
AIM
Anxiety disorders are amongst the most commonly diagnosed mental illnesses amongst men; however male-specific anxiety research is lacking. This review explores men's anxiety symptoms and disorders including help-seeking, coping and the role of masculinity.
METHOD
Four electronic database searches identified 8,333 citations, with 25 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Nineteen studies employed quantitative methods, five studies reported qualitative research, and one utilised mixed methods.
RESULTS
Unique profiles of anxiety, including psychosomatic symptoms, were identified and persisted over extended periods of time. Men commonly reported self-reliance over formal help-seeking, and typically managed anxiety symptoms through problem-based coping. Masculinity was related to anxiety in complex ways; adherence to norms of toughness could be protective against anxiety onset, while adherence to emotional restrictiveness and heterosexual presentation norms were positively associated with anxiety. The experience of, and help-seeking for anxiety transgressed many men's adherence to masculinity norms resulting in significant social and self-stigmas.
LIMITATIONS
The anxiety measurement scales utilised were inconsistent across included studies and there was limited scope of research into panic disorders, phobias and agoraphobia.
CONCLUSION
Findings demonstrate the enduring nature of anxiety for men and a potential under-reporting of symptoms, especially amongst younger men. To better tailor clinical care and public health resources to the needs of men with anxiety disorders, targeted research examining men's lived experiences of (and coping strategies for) anxiety is essential.
Topics: Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Men; Men's Health; Social Stigma
PubMed: 34517242
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.136 -
BMJ Case Reports Jun 2021Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy, with an estimated annual incidence of 0.7-2 cases per million and a median overall survival of 3-4 years....
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy, with an estimated annual incidence of 0.7-2 cases per million and a median overall survival of 3-4 years. Hormone-secreting ACCs represent most cases; of these, only a small minority presents with virilisation alone. Early diagnosis is key to increase the chances of a better outcome. Here, we report a case of a 41-year-old woman who presented with menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and virilising symptoms, associated with abdominal discomfort and constitutional symptoms. On physical examination, there was a palpable mass in the right upper quadrant. Laboratory workup revealed elevated serum androgens. The imaging study showed a 163×110×122 cm right adrenal mass with features consistent with ACC and suggested potential hepatic invasion. Our patient underwent surgical resection, and the histopathological findings confirmed the diagnosis. She was referred to a specialised centre for follow-up and adjuvant therapy.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Neoplasms; Adrenocortical Carcinoma; Adult; Androgens; Female; Humans; Liver; Virilism
PubMed: 34083198
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-242895 -
Journal of Aging Studies Dec 2022The study of aging masculinity benefits from theories of intersecting inequality and attention to context, and also from methodological care. Theory can help to avoid... (Review)
Review
The study of aging masculinity benefits from theories of intersecting inequality and attention to context, and also from methodological care. Theory can help to avoid reification of naturalized distinctions by age and by sex; and methodological rigor can avoid imputations of old masculinity to activities that other people do just as much. We revisit published research to outline theory and methods that minimize risk of reification and false distinction. We review theories of intersecting inequalities (age and gender) as well as institutional context; and we focus on methods that require either explicit mention of gender by those studied or direct comparison of old men to others. We offer several examples of how we can distinguish aging masculinities by using these methods, from interview research to the study of popular culture. Comparisons of white, middle-aged men in Finland to men in the U.S., and contrast of the U.S. men to U.S. women, reveal patterns in their constructions of manhood in later life, in realms of health, anti-aging, and caregiving. We point to the importance of both intersectionality and attention to contexts, such as welfare states, which shape aging manhood.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Aging; Masculinity; Finland; Intersectional Framework
PubMed: 36462914
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaging.2022.101050 -
Journal of Clinical Psychology Aug 2020The term "cool" likely originated in American jazz in the 1940s and was a superlative that indicated significant achievement within an aesthetic of restraint. Over the...
The term "cool" likely originated in American jazz in the 1940s and was a superlative that indicated significant achievement within an aesthetic of restraint. Over the ensuing decades, the word evolved to mean a rebellious vision that breaches tradition and repudiates past versions of cool. Even though its linguistic roots are West African, the term accrued distinctly American connotations in racist, sexist, and homophobic contexts. The shimmering, mysterious indefinability of coolness-its you-know-it-when-you-see-it quality-helped conceal its phobic qualities. The author examines the homophobic context through the lens of an icon of cool, James Dean, who became for gay men an object both of identification and erotic desire. The essay considers whether the restraint of coolness is only masquerade, a product of disavowed bodily anxiety, or if it also represents integration and meaningful transformation. A clinical vignette and scenes from the film Rebel Without a Cause are used to exemplify these dilemmas from a psychoanalytic point of view.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety; Humans; Identification, Psychological; Male; Masculinity; Motion Pictures; Object Attachment; Terminology as Topic
PubMed: 32589262
DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23002 -
The Journal of Adolescent Health :... Nov 2020
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Violence
PubMed: 33099408
DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.016 -
Omega Nov 2022Suicide is a serious but under-researched public health problem in Bangladesh. In light of this, we sought to explore the association between masculinities and suicide....
Suicide is a serious but under-researched public health problem in Bangladesh. In light of this, we sought to explore the association between masculinities and suicide. We interviewed 20 family members/friends of men who died by suicide across 12 rural areas of the Jhenaidah district, Bangladesh. We found that male suicide was attributed to men's inability to fulfil hegemonic masculine demands such as financial provision and meeting the sexual needs of their spouses. Suicide was also linked to men's loss of self-respect and respect from others. Some participants mentioned that men committed suicide as an act of self-sacrifice, while others cited mental and physical illness. As a result of these findings, we propose that addressing socio-cultural and religious issues associated with men's troubles may help to prevent suicide. At the same time, changing the restrictive gender roles and masculinity-related ideals is also needed to counter the problem.
Topics: Bangladesh; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Men; Self Concept; Suicide
PubMed: 33076754
DOI: 10.1177/0030222820966239 -
American Journal of Psychoanalysis Mar 2023The paper analyzes Ferenczi's contributions to contemporary debates on gender. It does not strictly adhere to what he wrote about masculinity and femininity, where he...
The paper analyzes Ferenczi's contributions to contemporary debates on gender. It does not strictly adhere to what he wrote about masculinity and femininity, where he reveals himself as a man of his time, with the some of the prejudices of his time. Instead, the paper highlights the utraquistic method and the pluralist monism of Ferenczi, whereby he appears as an analyst who remains in synch with current problems. Against the purity of dualisms, Ferenczi embraced multiplicity, mixtures, and the transit between different spaces, beyond divisive frontiers. In terms of method, it resonates with Judith Butler's proposals, with the ideas defended by Paul Preciado and by Queer theory.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; History, 20th Century; Psychoanalysis; Psychoanalytic Theory; Masculinity; Femininity
PubMed: 36750630
DOI: 10.1057/s11231-023-09391-0 -
Clinical Chemistry Dec 2023Androgens are synthesized from cholesterol through sequential conversions by enzymes in the adrenal glands and gonads. Serum levels of androgens change during the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Androgens are synthesized from cholesterol through sequential conversions by enzymes in the adrenal glands and gonads. Serum levels of androgens change during the different phases of life and regulate important developmental and maturational processes. Androgen excess or deficiency can therefore present at various ages in various ways.
CONTENT
The diagnostic approach for atypical genitalia, premature pubarche, delayed pubertal onset or progression, and hirsutism or virilization, including measurement of androgens (testosterone, androstenedione, 17-OHprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dihydrotestosterone) is discussed in the current review. Androgens can be measured in serum, saliva, urine, or dried blood spots. Techniques to measure androgens, including immunoassays and LC-MS, have their own advantages and pitfalls. In addition, pre- and postanalytical issues are important when measuring androgens.
SUMMARY
During clinical interpretation of androgen measurements, it is important to take preanalytical circumstances, such as time of blood withdrawal, into account. As immunoassays have major drawbacks, especially in samples from women and neonates, concentrations measured using these assays should be interpreted with care. Reference intervals can only be used in relation to the measurement technique and the standardization of the assay. In the near future, new androgens will probably be added to the current repertoire to further improve the diagnosis and follow-up of androgen excess or deficiency.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Female; Humans; Androgens; Testosterone; Androstenedione; Virilism; Hirsutism; Dehydroepiandrosterone
PubMed: 37794651
DOI: 10.1093/clinchem/hvad146 -
The American Psychologist Apr 2022We present a conceptual framework for relational interventions focused on helping boys and men navigate harmful socialization occurring in U.S. dominant culture, one...
We present a conceptual framework for relational interventions focused on helping boys and men navigate harmful socialization occurring in U.S. dominant culture, one which upholds a restrictive image of manhood that gives rise to health problems and social injustice. Drawing from relational-cultural theory, we frame the crises linked to hegemonic masculine socialization as shaped by interpersonal and sociocultural disconnections that keep boys and men in rigid confines of what is expected of "real men," which are detrimental to their well-being and operate to maintain oppression and violence. To work against the relational and societal ways that hegemonic masculinity is taught and reinforced, we view boys' and men's experiences in connection with others and in community as the central context in which healthy masculinities develop. Experiences in growth-fostering relationships of empathy, mutuality, and empowerment can help boys and men reject hegemonic relational dynamics and promote human capacities for vulnerability, connection, and compassion into healthy and flexible ways of being men in the world. We view these relational experiences as critical to prevention, health promotion, and social change efforts at the social, community, and systems levels. To that end, we offer recommendations for interventions to engage boys and men in collectively dismantling hegemonic masculinity and developing healthy masculinities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Empathy; Female; Health Status; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Mental Disorders; Violence
PubMed: 35587398
DOI: 10.1037/amp0000929 -
American Journal of Men's Health 2024Men historically consume more meat than women, show fewer intentions to reduce meat consumption, and are underrepresented among vegans and vegetarians. Eating meat... (Review)
Review
Men historically consume more meat than women, show fewer intentions to reduce meat consumption, and are underrepresented among vegans and vegetarians. Eating meat strongly aligns with normative masculinities, decisively affirming that "real men" eat meat and subordinating men who choose to be veg* (vegan or vegetarian). The emergence of meat alternatives and increasing environmental concerns may contest these long-standing masculine norms and hierarchies. The current scoping review addresses the research question Using keywords derived from two key concepts, "men" and "meat," 39 articles were selected and analyzed to inductively derive three thematic findings; (a) Meat as Masculine, (b) Veg*n Men as Othered, and (c) Veg*nism as Contemporary Masculinity. included how men's gendered identities, defenses, and physicalities were entwined with meat consumption. explored the social and cultural challenges faced by men who adopt meatless diets, including perceptions of emasculation. was claimed by men who eschewed meat in their diets and advocated for veg*nism as legitimate masculine capital through linkages to physical strength, rationality, self-determination, courage, and discipline. In light of the growing concern about the ecological impact of meat production and the adverse health outcomes associated with its excessive consumption, this review summarizes empirical connections between masculinities and the consumption of meat to consider directions for future men's health promotion research, policy, and practice.
Topics: Humans; Masculinity; Male; Meat; Diet, Vegan; Men's Health; Diet, Vegetarian
PubMed: 38679967
DOI: 10.1177/15579883241247173