"I Called When I Was at My Lowest": Australian Men's Experiences of Crisis Helplines.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 19(15)2022 07 27.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1957337
ABSTRACT
Background:
Helplines are an accessible form of support for people struggling with difficulties in their lives and are key services in suicide prevention and intervention. Men's experiences of telephone helplines are not well understood, despite high male suicide rates.Methods:
We conducted an online cross-sectional survey with N = 684 Australian men (aged 17-83 years, M = 50.13) using open- and closed-ended questions about their experiences of helplines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics were analysed to investigate differences between men using and not using helplines. Qualitative responses were analysed using thematic analysis.Results:
Within the sample, 100 men (14.6%) had used a helpline service. Men using helplines were more likely to be unemployed and in younger age brackets than those not using helplines. They were also more likely to report experiencing stressors related to COVID-19, including financial stress and job loss, perceived impact on mental health and relationship breakdown. Qualitative analysis indicated varied experiences of helplines, with men shedding light on how their interaction with a counsellor, the structure of services and their expectations of the service impacted their experience.Conclusions:
Further in-depth qualitative enquiry in this space is required, with the objective of understanding how helpline services may seek to better engage with male callers.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hotlines
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Humans
/
Male
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Ijerph19159143
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