The Mental Health Effects of Cumulative Lifetime Violence in Men: Disruptions in the Capacity to Connect with Others and Finding Ways to Reengage

Abstract

We report qualitative findings of our Men’s Violence Gender and Health Study, a multiple method study using a sequential design in which we explored the mental health manifestations of cumulative lifetime violence in men. Survey results revealed that higher cumulative lifetime violence scores were significantly associated with higher scores on depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety in a community sample of men ( n = 685) living in Eastern Canada. To obtain a deeper understanding of men’s scores, we used an interpretive description approach to analyze data derived from 32 participant interviews. The main mental health manifestation of cumulative lifetime violence is perceptual interference, a sense of being disconnected or detached from others. This is managed by rectifying detachment, a process that includes efforts to gain connections with others. Findings suggest mental health needs in men with cumulative lifetime violence contradict gender role expectations to be stoic. Implications for nurses are explored.