Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Is it Different for Guys?



Men are less likely to get treatment for psychiatric disorders, more than half of those who seek help are women.
Men are less likely to attempt suicide. 
But men have three times the number of completed suicides than women: they choose more lethal methods.


Are men different?  


Here's the beginning of the Mission Statement from a site called Mantherapy.org:


Working aged men (25-54 years old) account for the largest number of suicide deaths in Colorado. These men are also the least likely to receive any kind of support. They don’t talk about it with their friends. They don’t share with their family. And they sure as heck don’t seek professional treatment. They are the victims of problematic thinking that says mental health disorders are unmanly signs of weakness. And I, Dr. Rich Mahogany, am dedicated to changing that.

Part of a multi-agency effort, including the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention, Carson J Spencer Foundation and Cactus, Man Therapy™ is giving men a resource they desperately need. A resource to help them with any problem that life sends their way, something to set them straight on the realities of suicide and mental health, and in the end, a tool to help put a stop to the suicide deaths of so many of our men.



So went to ManTherapy and listened to Dr. Rich Mahogany (I think he's an actor, the site says he's not a real therapist), I surfed around his office where there's  a dead creature with antlers on the wall, seating that's from a baseball stadium, and I took part of his symptom checklist test (it's not the M3).


The site feels like a parody of all things masculine.  I'm not a man -- so I'm not sure how to call this -- but I think if I were a distressed man, this wouldn't make me feel more comfortable getting help.  It's not that listing resources might not be useful, but I just wasn't sure.  If you feel like checking it out, surf over to Mantherapy and tell me what you think. 

7 comments:

Schmerl said...

My husband is a woman as far as this kind of stuff goes. He wears his heart on his sleeve. I suppose that makes me the man. He cries. I do not. I have heartened my heart. He is a softie at least when it cones to his feelings. It is easy to make sweeping statements. Reality is much more complex. We are not all so easily divided along the lines of outward genitalia that god gave unto us.

Sh said...

Heardened

Sh said...

Uh, I meant hardened.

Jane said...

Yeah, he's an actor. I read another article on "man therapy" and Dr. Rich Mahogany is definitely a character...like Pedo Bear, Sad Panda, and other symbols associated with mental health. j/k.

I'm curious what men think of this...and as Rich Mahogany as a symbol for men's mental health. He's obviously a joke, but he's not even funny like Pedo Bear or Sad (Sexual Harassment) Panda.

Suji said...

Hi, I find this very interesting. I agree that most men are not as vocal in terms of expressing their feelings or emotions compared to women. :)

ATraveller said...

I find it tounge in cheek and over-the-top, but in a good way. This might work - but the route from the entrance to useful information is too long.

It needs to nudge more :)

Dan said...

As both a possessor of external genitalia and a depression sufferer who has been suicidal, I can't say that I found the page at all comforting, cogent, or useful. It's kinda tacky and stereotypes us all pretty badly. That being said, it would well target the type of men they're targeting.

The site itself is really well done, and certainly cost a lot to produce. I've worked at interactive agencies, and trust me when I say that on a project that size you do a lot of strategy and design work before you get started. They probably did the marketing persona analysis and found that style was what worked for their audience.