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A group psychotherapy program for young men with depression

University of British Columbia

It is estimated that 60% of people who die by suicide experience depression. For young people aged 15 to 34, suicide was the second leading cause of death in 2012. Men have had higher rates of suicide in Canada at every point in time – up to 3 times higher depending on the year - for the past 60 years. This qualitative study explores the experiences of ten male adults between the ages of 18 to 32 with mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression that participated in a single-gender group psychotherapy program called, The Men’s Transition Program (MTP). This study investigated the interventions and processes that were reported as helpful, in what capacity they were, and the perceived impact of these during and after the program. Ten semi-structured in-depth interviews, with questions inspired by the Enhanced Critical Incident Technique, were conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized to examine the reported changes as a result of the processes and interventions implemented in the program. Themes that emerged included: social connection and support, interpersonal learning, positive mood, self-confidence, self-esteem, normalization, improved social functioning, reduction in guilt, higher energy levels, and increased motivation. Implications of these findings will be discussed.

Text

2016-03-30

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/57365

Counselling Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/