‘Connecting with Young Men’: The Impact of Training in Ireland.
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Abstract
‘Connecting with Young Men’, Unit 6 in ENGAGE, Ireland’s National Men’s Health Training programme was developed to support service providers to engage young in mental health and related services. This study evaluated the impact of Unit 6 on front line service providers’ knowledge, skills, capacity, and practice pre and immediately post-training via questionnaire (n=206). At 1-month post-training interviews were conducted with youth workers (n=11), SPHE (social and emotional health curriculum) teachers (n=3), and sports personnel (n=3) (12-40 mins) to explore their experience of the training and its impact on practice. Overall, feedback regarding training satisfaction was largely positive (8.43±1.43/10). Participants self-reported level of knowledge (p=0.000), skills (p=0.000), capacity to engage (p<0.003) and identify priorities for young men (p<0.001), and success at convincing other service providers within (p<0.001) and beyond (p<0.000) their organization to prioritize engaging young men increased immediately post-training. Nota-bly, 57.3% of service providers said that they would integrate the training into their work practice. Critical components of Unit 6 included (a) the focus on understanding gender as a dynamic construct, (b) the use of experiential and interactive sessions, and (c) the integration of ongoing reflective practice. The provi-sion of more practical tips on ‘how’ to initiate and build relationships with young men as well as including young men’s voices would strengthen the training. Unit 6 has been effective in building capacity among service providers to engage young men. While assessing the longer-term impact of the training on practice is recommended, these findings have implications for those who wish to develop gender-sensitive services for young men elsewhere.
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Carroll, P., Richardson, N., & Grace, B. (2020). ‘Connecting with Young Men’: The Impact of Training in Ireland . International Journal of Mens Social and Community Health, 3(1), e24-e35. https://doi.org/10.22374/ijmsch.v3i1.26
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References
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33. Lefkowick M, Richardson N, Brennen L, et al. A pro-cess evaluation of a Training of Trainers (TOT) model of health training in Ireland. Health Promot Internat 2018;33(1):60–70.
34. Osborne A, Carroll P, Richardson N, et al. From training to practice: the impact of ENGAGE, Ireland’s national men’s health training programme. Health Promot Internat 2018;33(3):458–67.
35. Prior M, Guerin M, and Grimmer-Somers K. The effec-tiveness of clinical guideline implementation strategies: a synthesis of systematic review findings. J Eval Clin Pract 2008;15:888–97.
36. Grol R and Grimshaw J. From evidence to best practice: effective implementation of change in patients’ care. Lancet 2003;362:1225–30.
37. Fowler C, Richardson N, Carroll P, et al. Connecting with Young Men: Unit 6, Engage National Men’s Health Training. Men’s Health Forum in Ireland. 2015.
38. Dilley JA, Reuer JR, Colman V, and Norman RK. Steps to a healthier Washington. From making pamphlets making policies: results from a collaborative training to increase knowledge, motivation, and self-efficacy for achieving public health policy and systems change. Health Promot Prac 2009;10:138S–145S.
39. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychol-ogy. Qualitat Res Psychol 2006;1:3(2):77–101.
40. Robertson S, Bagnall AM, and Walker M. Evidence for a gender-based approach to mental health: identifying the key characteristics associated with “being male”. 2014. Available at: https://cdn.movember.com/uploads/files/ Our%20Work/evidence-for-a-gender-based-approach-to-mental-health-program-movember-foundation.pdf
41. Banks I. Improving health care services for men. Br Med J 2009;338:1391.
42. Health Service Executive. National Men’s Health Action Plan. Healthy Ireland-Men, HI-M 2017-2021. Working with men in Ireland to achieve optimum health and wellbeing. Dublin: Health Service Executive. 2016. Avail-able from: https://www.lenus.ie/handle/10147/621003.
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47. Miller KK, Riley W, Davis S, and Hansen H. In situ simulation: a method of experiential learning to pro-mote safety and team behaviour. J Perinat Neonat Nurs 2008;22:105–13.
2. Richardson N, Clarke N, and Fowler C. Young men and suicide project: A report on the all-Ireland young men and suicide project. 2013. Available at: https://www. mhfi.org/ymspfullreport.pdf
3. Central Statistics Office. Suicide death rates by sex. 2018. Available at: https://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/Se-lectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=VSD32&PLanguage=0
4. Hawton K, Bergen H, Kapur N, et al. Repetition of self-harm in children and adolescents: Findings from the multicentre study of self-harm in England. J Child Psychol Psychiatr 2012;53(12):1212–19.
5. Arensman E, Corcoran P, and Fitzgerald AP. Deliber-ate self-harm: Extent of the problem and prediction of repetition. In R. C. O’Connor, S. Platt & J. Gordon (Eds.), International Handbook of Suicide Prevention: Research, Policy and Practice. Chichester, England: Wiley; 2011.
6. Kilmartin C. Depression in men: communication, diagnosis and therapy. J Men’s Health Gender 2005;2(1):95–99.
7. Pitman A, Krysinska K, Osborn D, and King M. Suicide in young men. Lancet 2012;379(9834):2383–92. doi:
10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60731-4.
8. Varnik A, Kolves K, Allik J, et al. Gender issues in suicide
rates, trends and methods among youths aged 15-24 in 15 European countries. J Affect Dis 2009;113(3):216–26.
9. Pray L, Cohen C, Mäkinen IH, et al. Suicide in Eastern Europe, the CIS, and the Baltic Countries: Social and Public Health Determinants. A Foundation for Designing Interventions Summary of a Conference. 2013. Available at: http://suicidology.ee/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ Suicides-in-Eastern-Europe-RR-13-001-web.pdf
10. White A, de Sousa B, Makara P, et al. Men’s health in Europe. Men’s Health J 2011;8(3):192–201.
11. Telfair J, Shelton TL. Educational Attainment as a Social Determinant of Health. North Carolina Med J 2012;73(5):35–65.
12. Seidler ZE, Dawes AJ, Rice SM, et al. The role of masculinity in men’s help-seeking for depression: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2016;49:106–18.
13. Hope A, Dring C, and Dring J. College Lifestyle and Attitudinal NationL (CLAN) Survey. 2005. Available at: https://www.drugsandalcohol.ie/4327/1/2670-2853.pdf
14. Richardson N, Carroll P. Engaging Young Men Project. A report on the mapping exercise conducted in Ireland in 2014. Dublin: Men’s Health Forum in Ireland. 2015. Available at: www.mhfi.org
15. Harding C and Fox C. It’s not about “Freudian couches and personality changing drugs”: an investigation into men’s mental health help-seeking enablers. Am J Men’s Health 2015;451–63.
16. Ogrodniczuk JS, Oliffe JL, and Black N. Canadian men’s perspectives of depression: awareness and intention to seek help. Am J Men’s Health 2017;11(4):877–79.
17. Roy P, Tremblay G, and Robertson S. Help-seeking among male farmers: Connecting masculinities and mental health. Sociologia Ruralis 2014;54:460–76.
18. Courtenay W. Constructions of masculinity and their influence on men’s well-being: a theory of gender and health. Social Sci Med 2000;50:1385–401.
19. Wilkins D. Untold problems: A review of the essential issues in the mental health of men and boys. London: Men’s Health Forum; 2010.
20. Payne S, Swami V, and Stanistreet DL. The social construction of gender and its influence on suicide: a review of the literature. Journal of Men’s Health 2008;5(1):23–35.
21. Addis ME. Gender and depression in men. Clin Psychol: Sci Pract 2008;15:153–68.
22. Davies J, McCrae BP, Frank J. Identifying male college students’ perceived health needs, barriers to seeking help, and recommendations to help men adopt healthier lifestyles. College Health 2000;48:259–67.
23. Carroll P, Harrison M, Richardson N, et al. Evaluation of a gender-sensitive physical activity programme for inactive men in Ireland: Protocol paper for a pragmatic controlled trial. J Phys Activ Res 2018;3(1):20–27.
24. Wirback T, Forsell Y, Larsson J-O, et al. Experiences of depression and help-seeking described by young Swed-ish men. Psychol Men Masculinity 2018;19(3):407–17.
25. Devlin M. Inequality and the stereotyping of young people. 2006. 1-72. Available at: http://mural.maynoot-huniversity.ie/1185/1/Inequality.pdf
26. Harland K. Masculinity and mental health. Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. 2003;1-15.
27. Keohane A and Richardson N. Negotiating gender norms to support men in psychological distress. Am J Men’s Health 2007; DttOpsI://1d0o.i.1o 1rg7/71/01.1515779/18585371987873137079330
28. World Health Organization. Strategy on the health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region. 2018. Available at: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/ assets/pdf_file/0003/378165/68wd12e_MensHealth-Strategy_180480.pdf?ua=1
29. Department of Health and Children (Prepared by; Rich-ardson N and Carroll P.). 2009. National Men’s Health Policy 2008-2013. Working with Men in Ireland to Achieve Optimum Health and Wellbeing. Dublin: Depart-ment of Health and Children. Available at http://www. dohc.ie/publications/national_mens_health_policy.html
30. Grace B, Richardson N, and Carroll P. “…if you’re not part of the institution you fall by the wayside”: Service providers’ perspectives on moving young men from disconnection and isolation to connection and belong-ing. Am J Men’s Health 2016;12(2):252–64.
31. Campbell J, Rondon J, Galway K, and Leavey G. Meeting the needs of vulnerable young men: a study of service provider views. Children Society 2011;27(1):60–71.
32. Harland K and McCready S. Taking Boys Seriously – A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Male School-Life Experiences In Northern Ireland. 2012; Available at: http://uir.ulster.ac.uk/24270/1/Taking_Boys_Seri-ously_DE_FINAL_PDF.pdf
33. Lefkowick M, Richardson N, Brennen L, et al. A pro-cess evaluation of a Training of Trainers (TOT) model of health training in Ireland. Health Promot Internat 2018;33(1):60–70.
34. Osborne A, Carroll P, Richardson N, et al. From training to practice: the impact of ENGAGE, Ireland’s national men’s health training programme. Health Promot Internat 2018;33(3):458–67.
35. Prior M, Guerin M, and Grimmer-Somers K. The effec-tiveness of clinical guideline implementation strategies: a synthesis of systematic review findings. J Eval Clin Pract 2008;15:888–97.
36. Grol R and Grimshaw J. From evidence to best practice: effective implementation of change in patients’ care. Lancet 2003;362:1225–30.
37. Fowler C, Richardson N, Carroll P, et al. Connecting with Young Men: Unit 6, Engage National Men’s Health Training. Men’s Health Forum in Ireland. 2015.
38. Dilley JA, Reuer JR, Colman V, and Norman RK. Steps to a healthier Washington. From making pamphlets making policies: results from a collaborative training to increase knowledge, motivation, and self-efficacy for achieving public health policy and systems change. Health Promot Prac 2009;10:138S–145S.
39. Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychol-ogy. Qualitat Res Psychol 2006;1:3(2):77–101.
40. Robertson S, Bagnall AM, and Walker M. Evidence for a gender-based approach to mental health: identifying the key characteristics associated with “being male”. 2014. Available at: https://cdn.movember.com/uploads/files/ Our%20Work/evidence-for-a-gender-based-approach-to-mental-health-program-movember-foundation.pdf
41. Banks I. Improving health care services for men. Br Med J 2009;338:1391.
42. Health Service Executive. National Men’s Health Action Plan. Healthy Ireland-Men, HI-M 2017-2021. Working with men in Ireland to achieve optimum health and wellbeing. Dublin: Health Service Executive. 2016. Avail-able from: https://www.lenus.ie/handle/10147/621003.
43. Kuppler T. The 9 clear steps to organisational cul-ture change. Talent Management and HR. 2013. Available at: http://www.eremedia.com/tlnt/ the-9-clear-steps-to-organizational-culture-change/
44. McCullagh J. The invisible man – Development of a national men’s health training programme for public health practitioners: Challenges and successes. Public Health 2011;125,401–406.
45. Harold L. An Exploration of the Sustainability of ‘Facilitation Skills for Health and Well Being Train-ing’ in the Out-of-Schools Sector. Unpublished Thesis. 2017. Waterford Institute of Technology. Avail-able at: https://witcat.wit.ie/cgi-bin/koha/opac-search. pl?q=lisa+harold&idx=itl-g%2Cwrdl&branch_group_ limit=.
46. Baker A, Jensen P, and Kolb D.A. Conversational Learn-ing: An Experiential Approach to Knowledge Creation. Quorum Books, Westport; 2002.
47. Miller KK, Riley W, Davis S, and Hansen H. In situ simulation: a method of experiential learning to pro-mote safety and team behaviour. J Perinat Neonat Nurs 2008;22:105–13.