Encouraging Help-Seeking Behaviours among Vulnerable Young Men: a Review of the Literature

A review of the literature into a range of needs and risks that affect young people found that young men are often as vulnerable as young women, but that these vulnerabilities can manifest themselves in different ways. A tendency to externalise and act-out when in emotional distress often masks the vulnerabilities of young men. This is compounded by the fact that young men are significantly less likely than young women to seek help for physical, emotional and other problems, leaving them open to prolonged suffering. This paper, a summary of the original paper, explores some of the theories behind this gender gap in help-seeking and discusses the implications for practice and research.