The Effects of Gender Role Conflict, Stigma, and Social Support on Help-Seeking in Male Service Members

Abstract

It is a well-documented fact that men tend to seek professional help less frequently than women. Several factors might affect one’s help seeking behaviors, including gender role conflict, stigma, and perceived social support. This study served to examine help-seeking in male service members; more specifically, it explored how the above mentioned factors influenced attitudes and intentions towards seeking help. It also assessed whether or not the Gender Role Conflict Scale acts as a microcontextual primer. The data was analyzed using a structural equation modeling procedure. Results indicated a poor fit of the model to the data. Results also suggested that the Gender Role Conflict Scale does, indeed, serve as a microcontextual primer. Implications of these findings are discussed. Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also provided.