Study findings debunk myths about men not being open to getting support after a breakup.
The UBC Men’s Health Research program’s Men Building Better Relationships study was designed to learn about supporting men who had experienced or were experiencing relationship breakdown (i.e., divorce, separation or break up).
49 men between the ages of 26-70 participated in the study. More than half of the participants were parents, and had been in relationships ranging from 5 months to 28 years in length. The study found:
- Many men did not want to or shied away from sharing their true feelings and opinions with their partners for fear of conflict and/or the relationship ending.
- 50% of relationship break-ups were initiated by men’s partners.
- Men in distressed relationships, denied or monitored their emotions rather than acting on what they felt.
- 92% of men talked to friends and/or family when they needed help.
- After a break-up, most men reconnected with aspects of themselves they had given up during their relationships.
The study was open to men living in Australia or Canada who had experienced a relationship breakdown and handled it on their own, or had accessed services (i.e., counselling, workshops, other resources) to support them through the change.
Publications
- Oliffe, J. L., Kelly, M. T., Gonzalez Montaner, G., Seidler, Z. E., Maher, B., & Rice, S. M. (2022). Men building better relationships: A scoping review. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 33(1), 126-137.
- Oliffe, J. L., Kelly, M. T., Montaner, G. G., Seidler, Z. E., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., & Rice, S. M. (2022). Masculinity and mental illness in and after men’s intimate partner relationships. SSM-Qualitative Research in Health, 2, 100039
- Oliffe, J. L., Kelly, M. T., Gonzalez Montaner, G., Seidler, Z. E., Kealy, D., Ogrodniczuk, J. S., & Rice, S. M. (2022). Mapping Men’s Mental Health Help-Seeking After an Intimate Partner Relationship Break-Up. Qualitative Health Research, 10497323221110974.
Media Features
- Healthy ways to cope after a break-up / Dr. John Oliffe | Afternoons with Rob Breakenridge
- Actually, men seek out emotional support after a breakup too | healthing.ca
- KCR New / Dr. John Oliffe | Kootenay Co-op Radio
- Breaking up is hard to do-but many men find healthy ways to cope | Medical Xpress
- Men use resourceful strategies to cope with breakups | Earth.com
- Men Find Healthy Ways to Cope with a Breakup: Here’s How | MeD India
- Breaking up is hard to do | SCIENMAG
- Breaking up is hard to do – but many men find healthy ways to cope | Bioengineering
- New UBC study debunks stereotypes of how men cope post-breakup | The Prince George Citizen
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- New UBC study debunks stereotypes of how men cope post-breakup | Burnaby Now
- New study challenges popular stereotype that men don’t want support during a breakup | News Medical
- Breaking up is hard to do – but many men find healthy ways to cope | Newswise
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do—but Many Men Find Healthy Ways To Cope | UK Today News
- Breaking up is hard to do – but many men find healthy ways to cope | EurekAlert!
- Breaking up is hard to do – but many men find healthy ways to cope | UBC News