This Handbook represents the first concerted effort to understand male mental health in a way that facilitates a positive step forward in both theory and treatment. An alarming number of men experience serious mental health issues, as demonstrated by high rates of suicide and violent offending. Despite these problems, the study of male psychology has either been overlooked, or viewed as a problem of defective masculinity. This handbook brings together experts from across the world to discuss men’s mental health, from prenatal development, through childhood, adolescence, and fatherhood. Men and masculinity are explored from multiple perspectives including evolutionary, cross-cultural, cognitive, biological, developmental, and existential viewpoints, with a focus on practical suggestions and demonstrations of successful clinical work with men. Throughout, chapters question existing models of understanding and treating men’s mental health and explore new approaches, theories and interventions. This definitive handbook encapsulates a new wave of positive theory and practice in the field of male psychology and will be of great value to professionals, academics, and those working with males through the lifespan in any sector related to male mental health and wellbeing.

PERSPECTIVES IN MALE PSYCHOLOGY Discover a balanced perspective on men’s psychology in this accessible new resource Male psychology is a new field within the discipline of psychology, which focuses on men and boys. Male psychology moves us towards a more scientific and balanced understanding of the ­psychology of men and of boys, drawing on a range of perspectives, and away from an overreliance on social constructionism and preoccupations with notions such as patriarchy and privilege, too often seen in the narrative about men. In Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction, two of the most prominent authors in this new field, Louise Liddon and John Barry, introduce and deliver an insightful exploration of some of today’s most hotly contested issues regarding men and masculinity. This book puts forward a balanced perspective that has been missing from academic and media narratives around topics such as child development, education, sport and exercise, the workplace, crime, the military, health and wellbeing, mental health, therapy, masculinity, and sex differences, and considers the role that evolution, biology, and culture play in shaping male behavior. This book will also help readers to better understand some key issues such as: Why there are controversies around sex differences research How bias in research has led to a distorted view of the psychology of men and boys The ways in which the mental health and other needs of men and boys are routinely overlooked In turn this helps us ask some important questions such as: If there are more similarities than differences between men and women, does that mean the differences are unimportant? How can we un-distort our understanding of men and masculinity? What are the best ways of identifying and meeting the psychological needs of men and boys? Readers, whether students or lecturers, will also benefit from the inclusion of our companion Wiley website containing additional resources to support the development of knowledge and understanding of male psychology. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, medicine, and sociology, as well as established professionals in these and related fields, Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone interested in the psychology of sex and gender differences in various aspects of mental health and human behaviour.

This book provides an overview of the latest knowledge of the psychological aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and paves the way for advances in this rapidly evolving field. Taking an evidence-based approach, the book elucidates the ways in which PCOS causes anxiety and depression, impacts Quality of Life (QoL), and is associated with other psychological issues. The psychological impact of key features of PCOS are explored too, with a special focus on insulin resistance / diabetes, and fertility issues. The book concludes with a chapter on practical recommendations on how best to help with anxiety and depression in PCOS. An important feature of this book is its identification of the ways in which testosterone, a defining characteristic of PCOS, impacts psychology. In doing so it fills a lacunae in current research and offers evidence that maps out the complex ways in which biology impacts psychology in PCOS, and also how psychology can be harnessed to impact biology in a positive way. It will appeal in particular to scholars and clinicians in the fields of health psychology and women’s health.

This open access handbook, the first of its kind, provides a comprehensive and carefully curated multidisciplinary and genre-spanning view of the state of the field of Critical Menstruation Studies, opening up new directions in research and advocacy. It is animated by the central question: ‘“what new lines of inquiry are possible when we center our attention on menstrual health and politics across the life course?” The chapters—diverse in content, form and perspective—establish Critical Menstruation Studies as a potent lens that reveals, complicates and unpacks inequalities across biological, social, cultural and historical dimensions. This handbook is an unmatched resource for researchers, policy makers, practitioners, and activists new to and already familiar with the field as it rapidly develops and expands.

PERSPECTIVES IN MALE PSYCHOLOGY Discover a balanced perspective on men’s psychology in this accessible new resource Male psychology is a new field within the discipline of psychology, which focuses on men and boys. Male psychology moves us towards a more scientific and balanced understanding of the ­psychology of men and of boys, drawing on a range of perspectives, and away from an overreliance on social constructionism and preoccupations with notions such as patriarchy and privilege, too often seen in the narrative about men. In Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction, two of the most prominent authors in this new field, Louise Liddon and John Barry, introduce and deliver an insightful exploration of some of today’s most hotly contested issues regarding men and masculinity. This book puts forward a balanced perspective that has been missing from academic and media narratives around topics such as child development, education, sport and exercise, the workplace, crime, the military, health and wellbeing, mental health, therapy, masculinity, and sex differences, and considers the role that evolution, biology, and culture play in shaping male behavior. This book will also help readers to better understand some key issues such as: Why there are controversies around sex differences research How bias in research has led to a distorted view of the psychology of men and boys The ways in which the mental health and other needs of men and boys are routinely overlooked In turn this helps us ask some important questions such as: If there are more similarities than differences between men and women, does that mean the differences are unimportant? How can we un-distort our understanding of men and masculinity? What are the best ways of identifying and meeting the psychological needs of men and boys? Readers, whether students or lecturers, will also benefit from the inclusion of our companion Wiley website containing additional resources to support the development of knowledge and understanding of male psychology. Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, medicine, and sociology, as well as established professionals in these and related fields, Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction will also earn a place in the libraries of anyone interested in the psychology of sex and gender differences in various aspects of mental health and human behaviour.

The global trend of declining fertility rates and an increasingly ageing population has serious implications for individuals and institutions alike. Childless men are mostly excluded from ageing, social science and reproduction scholarship and almost completely absent from most national statistics. This unique book examines the lived experiences of a hidden and disenfranchised population: men who wanted to be fathers. It explores the complex intersections that influence childlessness over the life course.

Traditionally, men’s mental health woes have been attributed to male stubbornness and rigid notions of masculinity. However, there is growing recognition that mental health issues in men are socially determined by a range of factors including family, educational, occupational, and legal issues. These and a variety of other social issues have been collectively labelled ‘men’s issues’ and are being increasingly linked to negative men’s mental health outcomes. This book gives an overview of men’s mental health as well as related men’s issues, adopting a public-health-inspired approach examining the research linking social exposures and mental health outcomes. The book is unique in that it synthesizes and explores men’s issues, men’s mental health, and social determinants in a holistic and integrated manner through assessment of the social scientific and psychiatric literature. In this book, the author discusses the social determinants of men’s mental health and accompanying psychosocial interventions, moving beyond one-dimensional discussions of masculinity. Among the topics covered are: The Social Determinants of Male Suicide Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Young Males: The Medicalization of Boyhood? Why Do Men Have Low Rates of Formal Mental Health Service Utilization? An Analysis of Social and Systemic Barriers to Care, and Discussion of Promising Male-Friendly Practices The Gender Gap in Education: Understanding Educational Underachievement in Young Males and its Relationship to Adverse Mental Health Employment, Unemployment and Workplace Issues in Relation to Men’s Mental Health Men’s Issues and Men’s Mental Health: An Introductory Primer is essential reading for healthcare practitioners and social service providers including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists, counsellors, teachers, charity workers, health promotion specialists, and public health officers. It is also a useful text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in health care, social services, public health, epidemiology and social sciences, particularly sociology, psychology, and gender studies. Finally, the book can be read and understood by an intelligent lay reader, making it accessible for the wider public.