‘Men are struggling’: Psychologists get new guidelines for ‘traditional masculinity’

[T]he American Psychological Association, the country’s largest professional organization of psychologists, did something for men that it’s done for many other demographic groups in the past: It introduced a set of detailed guidelines for clinicians who treat men and boys. The 10 guidelines make suggestions on how to encourage fathers to engage with their kids, how to address problems that disproportionately affect men, like suicide and substance abuse, and how to steer men toward healthy behaviors.

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Although people of all genders face no shortage of obstacles in America, “men are struggling,” [psychologist Ryon McDermott] says. “The recession has hit men harder than women, men are less likely to graduate from college, men are more likely to complete suicide than women.” To help patients, the guidelines assert, psychologists need to understand what’s making their lives untenable.

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[T]he group is trying to thread a difficult needle in taking on the nature of masculinity.

What exactly “traditional masculinity” means depends on who’s talking about it. In science, the term refers to a specific set of traits and behaviors that are considered culturally appropriate for manhood, some of which can become harmful in certain cases.

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In popular culture, meanwhile, “traditional masculinity” has a fuzzier, broader meaning, which generally encapsulates whatever the person reading or saying it associates with being a man.

Read full, original post: Psychology Has a New Approach to Building Healthier Men