"I feel freer here": engaging older men in mental health-promoting communities through a Shared Reading intervention
Background: Older men face higher rates of chronic illness, mental health challenges and social isolation, exacerbated by traditional masculinity norms that discourage emotional openness and help-seeking. Retirement and aging can further disrupt their social roles and identity, contributing to poo...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MRE Press
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Men's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://oss.jomh.org/files/article/20250627-568/pdf/JOMH2025021702.pdf |
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| Summary: | Background: Older men face higher rates of chronic illness, mental health challenges and social isolation, exacerbated by traditional masculinity
norms that discourage emotional openness and help-seeking. Retirement and aging
can further disrupt their social roles and identity, contributing to poorer
well-being. Shared Reading, a reading group concept for guided collective
engagement with literary texts, has shown potential to improve mental health
outcomes and foster community among older men. This study aims to explore how
Shared Reading may engage older men in health-promoting communities.
Methods: The study was a qualitative exploration of a Shared Reading
intervention targeting men aged 60 and above. It was based on six site visits to
local Shared Reading group locations across Denmark, including interviews with
local reading guides, participants in the Shared Reading groups across the sites,
and the intervention project management. Results: We identified three
central mechanisms for engagement across the Shared Reading groups: (1) the
literature, serving as a common objective, a tool, and a window for the male
participants; (2) the all-male setting, creating a safe space where the men felt
more authentic, and (3) the combination of the all-male safe space and attributes
of the literature created a confidential community, where participants felt at
home and able to let their guards down. Based on these findings, we suggest that
Shared Reading may be an effective way to engage men in mental health-promoting
communities. Conclusions: The study highlights the broader implications
of Shared Reading for mental health promotion among men. It demonstrates the
importance of creating safe, activity-based and gender-sensitive interventions
that resonate with male participants while subtly challenging traditional norms
of masculinity. On this basis, we suggest that Shared Reading offers a framework
for promoting mental well-being and provides valuable insights into the potential
of literature for fostering connection and emotional exploration in male
communities. |
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| ISSN: | 1875-6867 1875-6859 |