2022 — Effectiveness of Man Therapy to reduce suicidal ideation and depression (RCT)

What the study found

This randomized controlled trial tested Man Therapy, an online mental-health programme, among 554 working-age men. Both the men who used Man Therapy and those in the control group saw suicidal ideation and depression improve significantly over the study period, and there was no difference between the two groups in how quickly those outcomes changed. In subgroup analyses the authors noted potential benefits of Man Therapy for mental health, social support and treatment motivation, and they concluded that online screening might play a role in reducing suicidal ideation and depression among men. ^[1]

Why it matters here

Discussions of men's mental health often turn on whether male suicide receives adequate attention and effective intervention. This trial is relevant because it evaluates a male-targeted digital programme directly: it found measurable improvement in both arms but could not show that Man Therapy itself outperformed the control condition. That mixed result speaks to the question of whether male suicide is ignored, suggesting that engagement and screening may help even where a specific intervention shows no added effect. It is cited as peer-reviewed evidence on the effectiveness of interventions aimed at working-age men.