Socio-Ecological Determinants of Young Men’s Help-Seeking: Barriers and Pathways to Engagement

Abstract

Guided by the socio-ecological model, this thesis examines the determinants of young men’s help-seeking across multiple levels of influence and identifies practical strategies to support more effective and timely engagement with healthcare.

Using a sequential, multi-phase, mixed methods approach, four interrelated studies were conducted. These included: a systematic review synthesising the existing evidence base on young men’s barriers and facilitators to help-seeking; secondary analyses of nationally representative survey data examining age differences in help-seeking barriers and the psychosocial determinants of these barriers for young men; and a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 29 young men. Together, these studies enabled a comprehensive examination of help-seeking determinants across individual, interpersonal, organisational, and societal domains.

The findings clarify the unique considerations young men face when seeking help and highlight several key targets for intervention. Across studies, masculine attitudes, health literacy, service accessibility, and social contexts were consistently identified as central influences on young men’s readiness and ability to seek support. A cross-cutting insight was the important role of compassion, both self-directed and from others, in shaping young men’s engagement with healthcare and reducing perceived barriers.

Taken together, this thesis provides a multi-level understanding of what holds young men back from seeking help and what can support their timely engagement with healthcare. The findings point to clear, actionable strategies, including strengthening health literacy, addressing loneliness and social disconnection, improving service accessibility, and embedding compassion within service design and public messaging. These insights offer practical pathways for improving early engagement and strengthening health outcomes for young men across the lifespan.