Mogano Ntsobe Tshepo Hope, Letsoalo Daniel Lesiba, Oduaran Choja Akpovire
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Psycho-Social Health, North-West University, Mahikeng, South Africa.
Department of Psychology, College of Human Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Jun 4;13(1):605. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02934-3.
Mental health challenges have become a pressing public health concern in recent years, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a notable prevalence of such difficulties in Africa. Within the region, the contributing factors to this conundrum include inadequate infrastructure, severe underfunding and a strong adherence to masculine culture. However, there is a lack of studies exploring the effects of masculine culture on the mental health of males, particularly Black African males.
The current study aimed to explore the effects of masculine culture on the mental health of Northern Sotho male youth.
The study was grounded in a qualitative research approach, an interpretive research paradigm and an exploratory research design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample. Data was collected through individual face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using qualitative content analysis through the lens of gender role conflict theory. RESULTS: The findings revealed that the participants' understanding of masculine culture was centred on the intersectionality of social processes and cultural ideologies. Furthermore, the study revealed that Northern Sotho male youth value masculine ethos; however, this can have negative consequences as failure to meet these expectations may lead to gender role conflict (GRC) and consequently mental health difficulties. Additionally, the study also discovered that in trying to cope with the mental health difficulties, maladaptive mechanisms were adopted. Future studies should include Black male youth from other ethnic groups for a more comprehensive understanding and tracking of the long-term intersectional trajectory of masculine culture and mental health difficulties among men.
The current study provided valuable insight regarding the effects of masculine culture on the mental health of Northern Sotho male youth and underscored the need for culturally sensitive, context-specific awareness campaigns, and targeted interventions to raise awareness and help educate males on the long-term negative implications that masculine culture may have on their mental health.
近年来，心理健康挑战已成为一个紧迫的公共卫生问题，世界卫生组织（WHO）报告称，此类问题在非洲的患病率颇高。在该地区，造成这一难题的因素包括基础设施不足、资金严重短缺以及对男性气质文化的强烈坚持。然而，缺乏研究探讨男性气质文化对男性心理健康的影响，尤其是对非洲黑人男性的影响。
本研究旨在探讨男性气质文化对北索托族男性青年心理健康的影响。
本研究基于定性研究方法、诠释性研究范式和探索性研究设计。采用目的抽样技术选取样本。通过个人面对面半结构化访谈收集数据，并运用基于性别角色冲突理论的定性内容分析法进行分析。
研究结果显示，参与者对男性气质文化的理解集中在社会过程和文化意识形态的交叉点上。此外，研究还表明，北索托族男性青年重视男性气质精神；然而，这可能会产生负面影响，因为未能达到这些期望可能会导致性别角色冲突（GRC），进而导致心理健康问题。此外，研究还发现，在试图应对心理健康问题时，他们采用了适应不良的机制。未来的研究应纳入其他族裔的黑人男性青年，以便更全面地理解和追踪男性气质文化与男性心理健康问题的长期交叉轨迹。
本研究为男性气质文化对北索托族男性青年心理健康的影响提供了有价值的见解，并强调需要开展具有文化敏感性、针对具体情况的提高认识活动和有针对性的干预措施，以提高认识并帮助教育男性了解男性气质文化可能对其心理健康产生的长期负面影响。
