What makes men happy?
This is the first blog (after the intro) in the series The 12 blogs of Christmas
“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree”.
The first paper in the special issue of the Psychreg Journal of Psychology is a peach rather than a pear (if that doesn’t sound too much like Alan Partridge!) and has probably attracted more positive attention and kind remarks than any of my other research. For example, I was very honoured when Tom Golden awarded me an impromptu Humanitarian of the Year award on his show last year for this work. I suggest in the editorial that this type of response was “perhaps in part because the findings were a welcome change to the ‘toxic masculinity’ narrative so often found in the media”.
So what was the study about? It combines two surveys I conducted, firstly of 2,000 men in the UK in 2017 and a year later 5,000 men in the US. The main UK finding was that by far the best predictor of men’s mental wellbeing is job satisfaction, and this was resoundingly echoed in the US sample. Both samples also indicated that the values that men most aspired to were honesty and reliability.
From a research perspective, it is interesting that the findings replicated well across the US and UK, not only because this suggests that the findings are not confined to just one culture, but because those worried about the replication crisis in psychology can dial their concerns down a notch.
Given the Christmas theme of goodwill to all men, I hope this paper will bring a smile to your face.
Watch out for the next blog in the series, on how writing can help reduce trauma in men.
In case your holiday season is less than happy, here are some places you can contact for support:
Samaritans lines are open 24/7 (365 days) Tel 116 123 (UK & Ireland)
CALM helpline is open 365 days 5pm - midnight. Tel 0800 58 58 58. Or try the CALM webchat https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/get-help/
If you are a father experiencing a stressful time post-separation, you can call the Families Need Fathers helpline 0300 0330 363 (9am - 10pm Monday to Friday, 10am - 3pm at weekends).
If you are a man experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the Mankind Initiative helpline weekdays 10am to 4pm on 01823 334244
Dr John A. Barry is a Chartered Psychologist and Professional Researcher. He is a leading expert in the areas of male psychology including men’s mental health and the psychological aspects of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). His new book, Perspectives in Male Psychology: An Introduction (ISBN: 978-1-119-68535-7), co-authored with Louise Liddon, is published in the new year and is available to pre-order now.
