Twenty-five per cent of men in Montreal struggle with mental health issues, according to a new report from the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal.
The report states that a recent study conducted by research firm SOM found that only 29 per cent of those men reported having sought professional psychological help.
The study also found that 43 per cent of men between the ages of 25 and 34 will likely experience psychological distress in their lifetimes.
The SOM study analyzed data collected from 1,542 Montreal men in the spring of 2019. The study was release ahead of the regional symposium on men’s health and well-being taking place in Montreal on Thursday.
The study found that close to 82 per cent of men who suffer said they saw a doctor within the past year, but only 17 per cent of those men said they sought out help from a psychologist.
Men who were most prone to seeking professional psychological help were those who either had suicidal thoughts or realized that their mental health issues were affecting their children.
A deciding factor in whether or not men decided to see a psychologist was if they believed a psychologist could actually help them, pointing to a lack of trust or belief in mental health services.
Another factor was whether men had access to free or low cost services, reported the study.
Other factors that increased the chances of men seeing a professional was if a close family member or friend booked their appointment for them, if someone accompanied them to their first appointment and if a doctor recommended the mental health professional.
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