Integrating the Man Therapy Public Health Campaign for Men’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention as Part of Your Suicide Prevention Programming: Effectively Reaching Hard-to-Reach Men

Body of Abstract: In 2022, about 80% of suicide deaths in Michigan and Ohio were among adult men aged 25 and older (Michigan Suicide Prevention Commission Annual Report, 2024; 2024-2026 State Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio). In their recent 2024 reports, both states emphasized the continued urgent need to address men’s suicide prevention, including expanding work to engage men over the age of 65 years who are at increasing risk for suicide across the country. In addition to being at highest risk, men are also some of the hardest people to engage in traditional mental health and suicide prevention help-seeking behaviors and connection to community support programs and services. Despite their high risk, public health campaigns developed specifically for men remain sparse. Campaigns that exist, often lack evidence regarding their effectiveness. One campaign that fills both gaps (targeted for high-risk men and is evidence-based) is Man Therapy.



In 2012, the Man Therapy website (www.mantherapy.org) was created to encourage men to take charge of their mental health and well-being. This free, easy-to-access platform offers men, and the people who care about them, a chance to explore mental health, evaluate their well-being, and learn about resources and actions that can lead to recovery, resilience, and help-seeking behaviors. During the proposed workshop, Thomas Vossler, Program Manager for Grit Digital Health, will provide an overview of the background and development of Man Therapy, detailing its creation as a unique, accessible resource aimed at engaging men in mental health care. He will discuss how the platform was designed to combat the stigma surrounding mental health by using humor, straightforward messaging, and a tone that resonates with men, especially those who may be reluctant to seek traditional mental health support. He will also provide timely updates to the website including the translation and cultural adaptation work into Spanish, updated content focused on positive psychology, new content on firearm safety, and increased diversity and inclusion of men from different backgrounds and experiences.



Since its creation in 2012, Man Therapy has been successfully implemented in states across the country, in addition to being customized for diverse groups of men and diverse geographical areas. Men in rural areas of the U.S. remain at highest risk for suicide . Resources are often lacking and therefore, resources that are not only effective, but also cost-effective are essential to integrate into broader rural mental health and suicide prevention efforts if we are going to successfully reduce the suicide death rate among hard-to-reach rural men.



In collaboration with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF), and in partnership with Grit Digital Health, researchers at the University of Maryland, School of Social Work (UMSSW) have developed a network of diverse partners focused on suicide prevention. These research-community partnerships work in collaboration to promote Man Therapy and men’s mental health, working together to reduce stigma and encourage men to seek help for mental health challenges. This workshop will feature methods used in each state that can be adapted and used in participants’ states and be integrated into their broader suicide prevention efforts.



Dr. Jodi Frey, Professor at UMSSW, will present findings from the Healthy Men Michigan (HMM) study, the first randomized control trial that evaluated Man Therapy in Michigan and was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Following HMM’s success, the research team was invited to continue their work in Michigan and Ohio. Dr. Frey will discuss how the research team built a network of organizational partners across Michigan and Ohio using organizational grassroots methods, with a focus on reaching rural communities and maximizing effective public health interventions and materials using a variety of dissemination methods.



Together with community partners, the presenters will discuss effective high tech (online) and high touch (community driven) methods they have used in their counties after successfully introducing the campaign to their suicide prevention coalitions. Specific examples of barriers and facilitators to success of the local campaign efforts will be shared and there will be opportunities for small group work during the workshop to discuss application of best practices within counties and states of the participants.



Kari Granz, Program Coordinator for the Thumb Public Health Alliance and Thumb Community Health Partnership, will discuss how they activated local efforts in Michigan’s Thumb region to launch Man Therapy and participate in mental health and wellness events throughout the rural county. Ms. Granz will also share her experiences building partnerships with non-traditional mental health partners. Terri Miller, Chair of Tuscarawas's Suicide Prevention Coalition in Ohio, will share insights into how their rural community integrated Man Therapy into their suicide prevention strategies, particularly targeting older men in rural areas. Both presenters will share lessons learned from their campaigns, including the use of data analytics to fine-tune efforts. They will also discuss how combining high-touch methods with a robust social media presence, including the strategic use of humor, has helped break down stigma and increase engagement.