). This time, I would like to invite all of you to prioritize your mental well-being, with a special focus on promoting mental health among males.
Session I
A ten-minute video to kickstart our discussion. Q1: What does masculinity mean to you? Describe it using adjectives and trust your instincts!
Q2: Continuing from the previous question, explore how masculinity influences the unique challenges that men face in terms of mental health.
Q3: Share your thoughts on whether 'men's mental health and well-being is a societal issue and not just a concern for men,' from the video.
Session II
Activity time
We will have an activity during session 2. To ensure everyone is aware of what we are doing, please read the article below before the meeting.
Men: A Different Depression
Psychologists try to help men get help, open up.
Research Shows That...
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), about six million American men suffer from depression every year. Yet psychologists know that men are far less likely than women to seek help not only for all mental-health problems, but depression in particular.
According to the NIMH public-information campaign, "Real Men. Real Depression.," which began in 2003, men may be unlikely to admit to depressive symptoms and seek help.
Researchers and clinicians are coming to think that the traditional signs of depression (sadness, worthlessness, excessive guilt) may not represent many men's experience of a depressive period. Although research is just beginning to support the idea of a "male-based depression," it is possible that men may instead express their depression in terms of increases in fatigue, irritability and anger (sometimes abusive in nature), loss of interest in work or hobbies, and sleep disturbances. It has also been shown that men use more drugs and alcohol, perhaps to self-medicate; this can mask the signs of depression, making it harder to detect and treat effectively.
Psychologists also are investigating whether men who are depressed try to hide it with overwork; others expose themselves to harm via risky behavior. Untreated depression can result in personal, family and financial problems, even suicide. According to NIMH, four times as many men as women die by suicide in the United States, which may result from a higher prevalence of untreated depression. Yet eight out of 10 cases of depression respond to treatment.
Psychologist Aaron Rochlen, PhD, of the University of Texas, says that research shows that the men who need mental-health services most are the least interested in getting help. He has begun research into alternative methods of marketing and providing counseling to more counseling-resistant populations. In addition, Rochlen and his colleagues have been documenting how the traditional male role - which restricts emotional expression and encourages a pre-occupation with success, power and competition - is associated with negative physical and psychological consequences, such as depression, anxiety and relationship problems.
APA President Ronald Levant, EdD, dean of Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Akron as of Fall 2005, has coined the term "normative male alexithymia" to describe men's greater problems with expressing their emotions, a possible contributor to depression and barrier to treatment.
According to NIMH, doctors may also overlook the signs of depression in older men. It can be especially hard to single out depression when men have other problems such as heart disease, stroke, or cancer, which can cause depressive symptoms, or whose medications may have depressive side effects. Yet it is critical to identify depression among the elderly because they, especially older white males, have the highest rates of suicide. Researchers are trying to help physicians to detect and treat depression in older adults, who respond well to treatment medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both.
ref: https://www.apa.org/topics/men-boys/depression
Q4: Share your thoughts and feelings about this activity.
Q5: Thoughts on male depression. Did anything surprise you?
Q6: General feedback on today’s meeting.
Looking forward to our get-together
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Agenda:
7:00 ~ 7:10 pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50 pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10 pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:15 pm Regrouping / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:15 ~ 8:45 pm Discussion Session (30 mins)
8:45 ~ 8:55 pm Summarization (10 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00 pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
Meeting Date: As shown in the Subject
Meeting Time: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three-minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting after the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate their ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely twice (including on-site and online meetings). After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1,500 (NT$1,000 for students) lifetime membership fee.