Has anyone seen researches and studies in this area that show reasons of this phenomena?
Hi Omid,
According to APA, men have been a growing minority in the larger field of Psychology for over two decades. Check this out for some reasons why www.apa.org/.../01/cover-men.aspx
You might want to check out these two books:
McGoldrick, M. (Ed.). (1998). Re-visioning family therapy: Race, culture, and gender in clinical practice. New York: Guilford Press.
McGoldrick, M., Pearce, J. K., & Giordano, J. (Eds.). (1982). Ethnicity and family therapy. New York: Guilford. [2nd edition 1995]
Obviously it has something to do with gender roles, which are culturally and ethnically defined. And beyond that, with the "rules" that govern both how and when it's OK to ask for help. Which gets tangled up with understanding psychotherapy as an indicator of weakness or of admitting that I need to make changes in myself.
Also you might like to check out this one: http://tandfbis.s3.amazonaws.com/rt-media/pp/common/sample-chapters/9780415875882.pdf
Another (my own speculative explanation) is the fact that in many westernized cultures critical and positivist thinking is more developed and encouraged in boys, they get the educational privilege; and psychotherapy providers are at times appear to be more esoterically-oriented, so seem to be unreliable source of help and authority.
I would have looked for research where SES and education level, as well as gender, is controlled. My guess is that above certain level of education, gender differences diminish.
Interesting question - don't know any research in this area off the top of my head..... but would check the WFRN site which might have some articles on this topic....I don't really understand the educational variable.... I think in the US at least, the culture is such that in the past has been harder for males to ask for help... And this has been true for quite a long period of time.... but do agree that probably more a cultural determinant than anything else...
If you are asking about women seeking couple and family therapy more than men, I think its because women on average have more to lose than men.
What about this?
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/12/verma/print.html
http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/news/News_Releases/2013/12/verma/print.html
May be one of the reason is that clients are comfortable with female psychotherapists
In regions of the world where men are the bread winners, they cannot afford to take time away from their jobs to attend therapy sessions, which are usually prolonged over time. Women in these regions may well have more "spare" time. But this would not, of course, account for the sex difference in parts of the world where women work as hard, if not harder, then men.
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