Why Men Seek Psychotherapy: I. Results of a Survey of College Graduates

A questionnaire survey comparing 112 middle-aged men who had made ten or more visits to a psychiatrist with 531 men who did not revealed that occupational failure, never marrying, and heavy alcohol use (all indirect indicators of mental illness) were not correlated with seeking psychotherapy. However, variables reflecting social supports (stable marriage, sports participation. church attendance, etc.) and subjective physical health status (hospitalization, days of sick leave per year, abdominal pain with stress, etc.) were strongly associated with whether men sought psychotherapy. A replication study supported the validity of these findings.