A cluster randomised control trial of the impact of the ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshops on adolescent boys’ intentions to seek help

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Men in Australia and many other countries account for three-quarters of deaths from suicide (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019; WHO, 2014). The higher rate for suicide among men has been attributed to several factors including lethality of means, externalising of depression, substance use, and reduced social connectedness and help-seeking (Granato, Smith, & Selwyn, 2014; Mergl et al., 2015; Moller-Leimkuehler, 2002; Player et al., 2015). These factors are influenced by masculine norms. Whilst some masculine norms can have positive impacts on wellbeing, conformity to masculine norms such as stoicism and self-reliance is linked to increased suicidal ideation and behaviour (Coleman & Feigelman, 2020; Wong, Ringo Ho, Wang, & Keino Miller, 2017). Given the gendered nature of suicide and the role of masculine norms, a gendered focus, that attends to the social context of suicide by men has long been recommended for suicide prevention interventions (Canetto & Sakinofsky, 1998; Oliffe, Ogrodniczuk, Bottorff, Johnson, & Hoyak, 2012). School based programs to support young men's wellbeing became increasingly common in recent years. However, the evidence base for the effectiveness of gendered school-based programs to bring about positive impacts for young men is lacking (Gwyther, Swann, Casey, Purcell, & Rice, 2019) (Calear et al., 2016). This trial seeks to address this lack of knowledge by determining the impact of an Australian school-based program, ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshops delivered by Tomorrow Man, that aims to challenge and transform harmful masculinities with young men with a view to ultimately reducing their suicide risk. Our cluster randomised control trial will compare participants who receive the ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshop within their school with those who wait to receive the workshop and receive only their usual school curriculum. The primary purpose of the trial is to determine whether the workshops have positive impacts on factors that are known to contribute to men’s suicidality, including young men's intentions to seek help and recommend help to others, their perceptions of masculinity, depression risk, social support and wellbeing. The findings of the research will be used to inform the development of the workshops and other interventions for boys. The primary research hypothesis is that adolescent boys in year 10, 11 or 12 who receive the ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshop at school will demonstrate an increase in their intentions to seek help for personal or emotional problems.