Shame and depressive symptoms in men: The moderating role of environmental mastery and purpose in life.

Background: Feelings of shame are linked to increased risk for depression. Little is known about protective factors that may buffer this effect, particularly in men. Using prospective data from a community sample of Australian men, we examine the extent to which shame is associated with depressive symptoms, and the protective role of psychological wellbeing, specifically environmental mastery and purpose in life.

Barriers and opportunities for health service access among fathers: A review of empirical evidence.

Issue Addressed: Engagement with health supports benefits the whole family, yet few health services report successful engagement of fathers. Our aim was to describe available evidence on barriers and opportunities relevant to health system access for fathers.

Methods: Scoping reviews were conducted seeking empirical evidence from (1) Australian studies and (2) international literature reviews.

Father trait anger and associations with father-infant bonding and caregiving: The mediating role of mentalizing.

Trait anger reflects a tendency to feel irritation, annoyance, and rage, and involves a narrowing of cognition and attention. This narrowed scope may impact the capacity to understand the mental states of oneself and others (mentalizing), which for fathers of infants may compromise bonding and caregiving involvement. Here, we investigated the extent to which mentalizing mediated the relationship between father trait anger and both father-infant bonding and father involvement in infant caregiving.

Depressive symptoms and social support among Australian men: A 7-year longitudinal study.

Background: Mental health disorders are ranked globally as the single largest contributor to non-fatal ill-health. Social support can be a means of reducing and managing depression. However, depression can also impact on a person's level of social support.

Pre-pandemic Predictors of Loneliness in Adult Men During COVID-19.

Loneliness is a major public health issue, with its prevalence rising during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and mandated "social distancing" practices. A 2020 global study ( = 46,054) found that, in comparison to women, men experienced the greatest levels of loneliness. Although research on predictors of loneliness during COVID-19 is increasing, little is known about the characteristics of men who may be particularly vulnerable.