Looking for the ‘active ingredients’ in a men’s mental health promotion intervention

ABSTRACT

Objective: Man Up is a three-episode documentary in which Sydney radio personality, Gus Worland, explores the relationship between masculinity and suicide. Our evaluation of Man Up suggested that it changed attitudes, intentions and behaviours that place men at risk. This paper aimed to identify the ‘active ingredients’ responsible for these outcomes.

Method: We analysed comments from those who had participated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) or an online survey as part of our evaluation or had emailed us via the Man Up website. We also analysed reactions to Twitter and Facebook posts about the show. We ranked the top five themes emerging from each data source.

Results: Particular scenes seem to strike a chord with audiences (e.g. a workshop with high school boys, the development/screening of a campaign ad called Man Up, Speak Up). The emphasis on men showing emotion and facts and figures about male suicide also appear important, as do representation by rural men and those who have lost a man to suicide.

Discussion: The above segments and topics have credibility as the ‘active ingredients’ of Man Up and could form the core of a shorter version of the show. Our findings have implications for others developing media-based mental health promotion programs for men too. They suggest that messaging is likely to achieve positive results if it relates to men in meaningful ways, recognises the societal pressures that operate on them, does not simplify complex issues like suicide, and combines heartfelt stories with scientific data.

KEYWORDS:

• Mental health
• male health
• suicide
• intervention

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Movember Foundation for supporting the development and evaluation of Man Up. They would also like to thank Heiress Films for producing the documentary and associated social media campaign, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for screening the documentary. The authors are grateful to the Advisory Group that provided guidance at various critical stages in the project. They would also like to acknowledge Gus Worland and everyone else who appeared in the documentary, and the men who took part in various components of the evaluation reported here.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Jane Pirkis http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2538-4472

Marisa Schlichthorst http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2627-7238

Kylie King http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8500-4972

Anne Lockley http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9340-1019

Louise Keogh http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2963-6451

Lennart Reifels http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7844-5163

Matthew J. Spittal http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2841-1536

Andrea Phelps http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9235-8012

Additional information

Funding

Funding for Man Up was provided by the Movember Foundation. Funds supported the development of the documentary and associated social media campaign, as well as their evaluation. The Movember Foundation had no role in the design or conduct of the study reported here, or in the collection, management and analysis of the data, or in preparation of this manuscript.