Representações sociais sobre ser homem e seus cuidados em saúde mental na perspectiva de universitários

Abstract

This study, conducted at the Centro Universitário Santa Maria in Cajazeiras–PB, aimed to understand the social representations (SR) of being a man, men's mental health, and their mental health care among male university students. Specific objectives included characterizing participants according to sociodemographic variables, describing the central and peripheral elements of the SRs on these themes, and analyzing their semantic structure. The research adopted a mixed, basic, and convergent approach, involving 127 cis-men. The Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Masculinity Conceptions Scale (MCS), the Free Word Association Test (FWAT), and discussion circles were used. Sociodemographic and MCS data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, employing descriptive statistics to characterize participants and conduct 12 Student's t-tests covering variables such as sexual orientation, color/ethnicity, employment status, and family income. FWAT data were analyzed using the Ensemble de Programmes Permettant l’Analyse des Évocations (EVOC) software to identify the frequency and order of evocations, highlighting the central and peripheral elements of the SRs. The sample was predominantly composed of health field students, mainly heterosexual, mixed race, single, childless, employed, and with an individual income of up to two minimum wages. Regarding religion, most were Catholic. Quantitative results revealed significant differences in masculinity conceptions between heterosexuals and LGBTQIA+ community members. Heterosexuals scored higher on all masculinity conception factors. Significant differences were also observed in the emotional restraint factor between workers and non-workers. However, no notable differences were identified based on race/color and family income in aspects such as heterosexism, social provocation, and emotional restraint. In the qualitative dimension, the SRs about being a man were structured around responsibility, strength, bravery, and "manly things." Regarding men's mental health, the central core encompassed care, fragility, importance, pressure, depression, ignorance, and prejudice. For their mental health care, the centrality included therapy, leisure, importance, necessity, psychology, sport, reading, and thinking. In the discussion circle, the students reinforced the hegemonic place of being a man through their discourses characterizing men's mental health. However, some mentioned an interest in undergoing therapy as an individual care practice, the lack of resources for accessing mental health, the romanticization of the “get therapy” discourse, reading as a catharsis process, and leisure activities, such as music and sleeping. In this context, the study revealed that the SRs about being a man directly influence mental health care, showing that the central elements act as mediators in individuals' relationships and behaviors. However, it faced limitations, such as low men's adherence to the research overall, especially in the discussion circles, suggesting the need for future studies to better explore these themes and contribute to the field of studies on masculinities and social representations.