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MARCH 2018
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE REGION’S PSYCHOLOGISTS
VOL. 26, NO. 2
Societal norms of masculinity still play a Vermont prison complex role in men’s reluctance to seek treatment meant to accommodate “Real Men. Real Depression,” By Phyllis Hanlon multiple populations and the military’s increased ore than six million men are diagnosed with depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Left untreated, this condition can lead to a plethora of difficulties related to family, friends, and career. Psychologists around New England examined the complexity surrounding the issues of males seeking psychological help. According to Michael E. Addis, Ph.D, professor in the department of psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, research has found that men utilize mental health services less frequently than women because of negative attitudes. “There are individual differences in the degree to which men buy into the societal norms of masculine ideology,” he said. “It’s important to be
Mark Holbrook, Ph.D, LCPC, treats law enforcement and military personnel at his private practice in Maine.
they’ll think about seeking help,” Addis said. In his book “Invisible Men,” Addis explores a male paradox. “On one hand men are highly visible,” he said, citing the prevalence of males in
“Therapy is not a quick fix. It’s harder with men to process difficulties at the level of emotion versus cognition. They want practical steps.” Rick Barnett, Ph.D, private practitioner in Stowe, Vermont and founder/president of Carter, Inc. self-reliant at all times and stay in control of emotions. Number one is not doing anything perceived as feminine; seeking mental health services is seen as a more feminine act. It produces a greater degree of fear and shame.” Additionally, men have difficulty in recognizing personal emotional distress. “They appear to have a higher bar for considering mental health a problem. They think if they can get themselves to work, they’re okay. But when they can’t get out of bed, then
business, politics, entertainment, and other areas. “But they have personal vulnerability, which is related to the cost of ‘staying power.’ They keep their real selves hidden. This gives rise to untreated depression,” he said. Addis feels that the situation has improved. He finds that male college students are somewhat more amenable to acknowledging and seeking counseling, most likely because of readily available on-campus resources. Campaigns, such as NIMH’s
attention to mental health problems have also made some strides. “But whether that translates to greater use of mental health services remains to be seen,” Addis said. “The longer I study, the more I’ve come to view this as less and less an individual issue. It’s a social and cultural issue. We need to head toward changing the message on a broad scale. We have to have day-to-day conversations with boys and de-emphasize gender, but focus on healthy living,” Addis said. “Men need to take the risk of being real. When they do talk, they’re often met with relief and validation.” While males in general are reluctant to seek help, those in the military and law enforcement are particularly disinclined, according to Mark Holbrook, Ph.D, LCPC, private practitioner in Brunswick, Maine, whose client base predominantly comprises this population. Prior to opening his practice in 2003, Holbrook served as a police officer so he clearly understands the everyday stressors that can precipitate psychological and emotional difficulties. He explained that men, in general, are not very comfortable with emotions and struggle to identify their own feelings. But for his clients, acknowledging emotions falls outside the traditional stoic nature of the military and law enforcement. “[Police officers] respond to crises and have to be effective dealing with whatever the situation is. Situational stoicism is crucial to success. The problem becomes--’what happens when they leave the crisis situation?’” he said. “They compartmentalize and to some degree are able to do this Continued on Page 11
By Janine Weisman ixing the mental health system is a key part of a plan Vermont Gov. Phil Scott’s administration introduced to the State Legislature in January to build a 925-bed prison complex in northwest part of the state over 10 years. Fifty forensic beds — 20 reserved for hospital level care and 30 for outpatient or residential level care — are part of the $150 million corrections campus outlined in the Agency of Human Services (AHS) Report on Major Facilities. AHS oversees both the Department of Corrections and the Department of Mental Health. The plan to create the large complex in Franklin County by 2028 also calls for 457 beds for male inmates, 175 beds for female, 120 beds for federal offenders, and 50 Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant beds for aging/infirm men. There also would be three booking and receiving beds and 18 infirmary beds, including two hospice and three quarantine. An additional 25 beds for youth offenders is part of the plan if the state does not rebuild the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center adjacent to the current facility in Essex. Vermont lost Medicaid funding for Woodside in October 2016 after federal regulators deemed it a correctional
facility and not an appropriate therapeutic setting for youth ages 10 to 18 in the custody of the Department of Children and Families. HS Secretary Al Gobeille said funding for a replacement for Woodside would be included in a two-year capital bill Scott would present to the Legislature next January if reelected this year. If not, the 25 adolescent beds would become a separate unit in the large prison campus. “We’ve been clear in the report and with the Legislature that we don’t know if it’s the right size, we don’t know if they’ll agree with us on location, we don’t know if they think the timing’s right,” Gobeille said. “It might need to be built in stages, so we’re really openminded and flexible because there are a lot of problems that this report identifies. Reasonably people could disagree on what the first, second, third, and fourth steps should be.” All four of Vermont’s high acuity mental health treatment facilities have critical problems, the report states. In addition to the funding problems with Woodside, both the Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital (VPCH) in Berlin and the Brattleboro Retreat are at risk of losing Medicaid funding in 2021. The seven-bed Middlesex Continued on Page 11
INSIDE
In-service training to focus on police officers’ mental health....................Page 5 States await decision on Medicaid work requirements.....................................Page 6 CE listings.................................................Page 13