APA Guidelines for Psychological Practice with Boys and Men
The APA says traditional masculinity is defined by
“stoicism, competitiveness, dominance and aggression.” It’s found in men’s
resilience in the face of adversity and insistence on “looking tough” despite
mental suffering, and in their tendency to handle emotional strain with anger.
These guidelines draw on 40 years of research and provide
psychologists with an evidence-based approach for responding to the particular
needs of boys and men.
In the APA’s “first ever” set of guidelines to help
psychologists work with men and boys, the association states that “traditional
masculinity is psychologically harmful,” and “causes damage that echoes both
inwardly and outwardly.”
But
what is ‘traditional masculinity’ anyway?
According to the APA, “traditional masculinity ideology has
been shown to limit males’ psychological development, constrain their behavior,
result in gender role strain and gender role conflict and negatively influence
mental health and physical health.”
The association blames this masculinity for the fact that
90 percent of homicides in the US are committed by men, and for the fact that
men are over three times more likely to die from suicide than women. Boys are
also far more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls, and suffer harsher
punishments for misbehaving in school.
As such, the APA is instructing psychiatrists to change how
they talk to their male patients. Clinicians, the association says, must be
aware of and challenge “dominant masculine ideals,” and “combat these forces.”
“If we can change men,” Dr. Ryon McDermott, a psychologist
who helped draft the guidelines wrote, “we can change the world.”
The association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM) is the go-to guide for clinicians, researchers and
policymakers around the world.
The association was one of the first such groups to stop
considering transgenderism as a mental illness, with the publication of its
fifth DSM in 2013, clearing the way for a raft of pro-trans policies, like
President Obama’s decision to open the military up to transgender recruits in
2016.
Shifts in society’s perception of gender have influenced
the latest set of guidelines too. “What is gender in the 2010s,” McDermott
wrote in the guidelines. “It’s no longer just this male-female binary.”
Message
from American Psychological Association.
Our recently published Guidelines for Psychological
Practice with Boys and Men are designed for psychologists to use in treating
patients & encouraging the beneficial aspects of masculinity among their
clients.
These guidelines draw on 40 years of research and provide
psychologists with an evidence-based approach for responding to the particular
needs of boys and men.
The guidelines support encouraging positive aspects of
“traditional masculinity,” such as courage & leadership, and discarding
traits such as violence & sexism, while noting that the vast majority of
men are not violent.
Traits of so-called “traditional masculinity,” like
suppressing emotions & masking distress, often start early in life &
have been linked to less willingness by boys & men to seek help, more
risk-taking & aggression -- possibly harming themselves & those with
whom they interact.
Research shows that boys and men are at a disproportionate
risk for school discipline, academic challenges, health disparities, and other
quality of life issues.
Research also shows that that many men do not seek help
when needed and many report barriers to receiving gender-sensitive
psychological treatment.
For
more information, read the full guidelines here:
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