Provide names of other journalists involved.
Maria Streshinsky Editor in Chief
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July/August 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
Psychologists worry about the Great Recession’s toll on men who define their self worth through work. In every corner of the globe, more men commit suicide than women. Research shows that men benefit from talk therapy just as much as women. Yet most men still won’t go.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Item: Number of men seeking outpatient help for depression Study: National trends in outpatient psychotherapy, American Journal of Psychiatry, 2010 Author: Dr. Mark Olfson, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Outside funding: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Eli Lilly; Bristol-Myers Squibb; McNeil Pharmaceuticals Item: Suicide attempts among men who were reluctant to disclose emotional pain Study: Suicidal action, emotional expression, and the performance of masculinities, Social Science & Medicine, 2011 Author: Dr. Anne Cleary Outside Funding: National Disability Authority (Ireland) Item: Health-care avoidance is most pronounced among “macho men” Study: “Macho Men” and Preventive Health Care: Implications for Older Men in Different Social Classes, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2011 Author: Dr. Kristen Springer and Dr. Dawne Mouzon Outside Funding: Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers; Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars Program at Columbia University Sidebar, page 40 Item: 1 in 3 men experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during cancer treatment Study: Rapid screening for psychologic distress in men with prostate carcinoma, Cancer, 2008 Author: Dr. Andrew Roth, Department Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Outside Funding: PepsiCo Foundation; T. J. Martell Foundation Item: Men reject support in favor of information Study: Social support: Gender differences in cancer patients in the United Kingdom, Cancer Nursing, 2006 Author: Christine Eiser, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield Outside Funding: Cancer Research UK; St. John’s University Child and Family Research Group Item: Humor might allow for easier discussions about the impact cancer can have on sexual function Study: Connecting humor, health, and masculinities at prostate cancer support groups. Psycho-Oncology, 2009 Author: Dr. John Oliffe, School of Nursing, University of British Columbia Outside Funding: Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
Explain types of human sources used.
See above.
Results:
First-time collaborators (and longtime husband and wife) Betsy Bates Freed and David Freed found their marriage played a role in their assignment (“Why Won’t Men Get Help?,” page 34). “Betsy was more inclined to demonstrate the universal efficacy of talk therapy,” says David. “I still have my doubts that such treatment is for everybody. But the fundamental of a successful marriage — compromise — helped balance out the end result.” A clinical psychologist, Bates blogs on psychosocial issues for The Oncology Report and is a frequent contributor to Clinical Psychiatric News. Freed, a screenwriter and former investigative reporter for Los Angeles Times, is the author of the new mystery novel Flat Spin (Permanent Press).
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
In this instance, collaboration between journalist and clinical psychologist helped balance the story.