Challenging Assumptions About What Men Want

Understanding men’s preferences for outpatient mental health treatment is important in better providing responsive services that engage this population in effectual care. In psychotherapy, responding to client preferences is associated with reduced attrition and improved outcomes. Knowledge regarding men’s therapy preferences, however, is limited and equivocal, particularly among men attending outpatient mental health services. The present study examined treatment preferences—with a focus on psychotherapy—in a sample of Canadian men (N = 92) attending public-funded outpatient clinics. The majority of men (45.7%) endorsed a strong preference for individual psychotherapy. This preference was associated with higher levels of work and social impairment. Men tended to prefer therapists to teach coping strategies, explore feelings and patterns of experiences, and assist men in working with emotions. Only 20.9% of men preferred brief treatment, and 31.4% perceived a need for long-term therapy (>1 year). Contrary to popular discourse, findings indicated respondents’ preference for therapies that focus on vulnerable emotions, and many men—particularly those with greater functional impairment—reported interest in longer term, emotion-oriented psychotherapy.