Authors: Émilie Binet; Marie-Christine Ouellet; Jessica Lebel; Vera Békés; Charles M. Morin; Nicolas Bergeron; Tavis Campbell; Sunita Ghosh; Stéphane Bouchard; Stéphane Guay; Frank P. MacMaster; Geneviève Belleville · Research
Why Do Men Seek Mental Health Help Less Often After Natural Disasters?
Research explores gender differences in mental health treatment after wildfires, finding key barriers that prevent men from seeking help.
Source: Binet, É., Ouellet, M. C., Lebel, J., Békés, V., Morin, C. M., Bergeron, N., ... & Belleville, G. (2021). A portrait of mental health services utilization and perceived barriers to care in men and women evacuated during the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48(6), 1006-1018.
What you need to know
- Only a minority of disaster survivors seek mental health help, with men being significantly less likely than women to access services
- The main barrier to getting help was people preferring to manage on their own, rather than practical obstacles like cost or availability
- Women were about 1.5-1.9 times more likely than men to receive various forms of mental health support after the disaster
The Hidden Mental Health Impact of Natural Disasters
When a natural disaster strikes, the visible damage to buildings and infrastructure often overshadows a less obvious but equally important impact - the psychological toll on survivors. After the devastating 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires in Canada, which forced over 80,000 people to evacuate their homes, researchers wanted to understand how survivors accessed mental health support and what prevented them from getting help when they needed it.
The Gender Gap in Help-Seeking
The research revealed a striking pattern: women were significantly more likely than men to seek all types of mental health support in the year following the fires. Specifically:
- 48% of women vs 35% of men received mental health information
- 16% of women vs 9% of men received medication
- 22% of women vs 11% of men received counseling or therapy
This gender gap remained even after accounting for factors like age, education, marital status, and severity of mental health symptoms. The difference was particularly pronounced for psychological counseling, where women were nearly twice as likely as men to receive help.
Breaking Down the Barriers
Perhaps surprisingly, practical obstacles like cost, availability of services, or lack of transportation weren’t the main reasons people avoided seeking help. Instead, the biggest barrier was the belief that one should handle problems on their own:
- About 27% cited self-reliance as their reason for not seeking information
- 47% gave this reason for not taking medication
- 51% said this about not getting counseling
While both men and women expressed this preference for self-reliance, other research suggests men may feel particularly strong pressure to “tough it out” rather than ask for help.
The Role of Symptom Recognition
An interesting pattern emerged when looking at those with different levels of symptoms. For some conditions, gender differences in help-seeking disappeared among those with the most severe symptoms, but remained for those with milder “subclinical” symptoms. This suggests men may wait until their problems become very severe before seeking help, while women are more likely to seek support earlier.
What This Means for You
If you or someone you know has lived through a natural disaster:
- Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness
- Don’t wait for symptoms to become severe before reaching out
- Consider starting with more independent options like online therapy or self-help resources if traditional therapy feels too daunting
- Check in on male friends and family members who may be less likely to seek help on their own
- Know that it’s common to need support after a disaster - you’re not alone
Conclusions
- Both men and women face barriers to seeking mental health support after disasters, but men are particularly hesitant to reach out
- The preference to handle problems independently, rather than practical obstacles, is the main barrier to getting help
- More accessible and self-directed treatment options may help reach those who are reluctant to seek traditional therapy
- Earlier intervention is important - don’t wait for symptoms to become severe before seeking support