ABSTRACT

Little empirical data exists regarding men’s preferences for therapist gender, including what predicts these preferences, and the impact they may have on satisfaction with care. To address this, data were drawn from an online survey of Australian men (n = 2002; aged 16–85; M = 43.8 years) reflecting on their preferences for and experiences of mental health treatment. Participants responded to items assessing demographics alongside their preference for therapist gender, reason for this preference and items on masculinity and treatment satisfaction, which were entered into a predictive model. Findings indicated that the majority (60.5%) of respondents did not indicate a preference, while equal proportions preferred male (19.1%) and female therapists (20.4%). Undergraduate-educated, non-heterosexual, and more masculine-identifying men were all more likely to prefer a male therapist. Severely depressed men preferred a female therapist. Finally, seeing a therapist who matched one’s gender preference was a significant predictor of satisfaction with therapy, while feeling less manly in attending therapy mediated this relationship. While the majority of men reported no gender preference for their therapist, for those who do, the underpinnings and implications warrant consideration and discussion. Limitations and clinical and research implications are discussed.

摘要

很少有关于男性对治疗师性别偏好的经验数据，包括预测这些偏好的因素，以及它们可能对护理满意度的影响。为了解决这个问题，数据来自对澳大利亚男性的在线调查（n = 2002；16-85 岁；M= 43.8 岁）反映了他们对心理健康治疗的偏好和经验。参与者对评估人口统计的项目以及他们对治疗师性别的偏好、这种偏好的原因以及关于男性气质和治疗满意度的项目做出回应，这些项目被输入到预测模型中。调查结果表明，大多数（60.5%）的受访者没有表示偏好，而同等比例的受访者更喜欢男性（19.1%）和女性治疗师（20.4%）。受过本科教育、非异性恋和更男性化的男性更有可能更喜欢男性治疗师。严重抑郁的男性更喜欢女性治疗师。最后，看到与自己的性别偏好相匹配的治疗师是对治疗满意度的重要预测指标，而在接受治疗时感觉不那么有男子气概可以调节这种关系。虽然大多数男性报告说他们的治疗师没有性别偏好，但对于那些这样做的人来说，基础和影响值得考虑和讨论。讨论了局限性以及临床和研究意义。