Acronyms and Male Mental Health
We love a good acronym, don’t we? An abbreviation consisting of the first letters of each word in the name of something, pronounced as a word e.g., PIN being an acronym for "Personal Identification Number". Whilst the use of acronyms appears to be very popular, especially in the field of mental health e.g., PTSD, CBT, EMDR, they are, according to Fred and Cheng (2003) frequently used without definition, and therefore potentially confusing for those not familiar with them.
A 2020 study analysed more than 24 million article titles and 18 million article abstracts published between 1950 and 2019, and found that that the use of acronyms has increased over that time period. However the study also suggested that a reduction in acronym use would help readers and potentially increase the value of science.
But does this mean all acronyms are bad? I’d like to look at three acronyms I find quite useful, which are associated with male mental health; A CLAM, RAISE and CHAPS.
First, note that whilst some may refer to these words as acronyms, others might notice that they are actually apronyms, in other words, a word whose letters spell a word meaningful in the context of the term it stands for.
A CLAM
A CLAM refers to 'bite size' (pun intended?) guidance in relation to men’s mental health. The creators of the guidance, John Barry, Louise Liddon and Martin Seager state that men are unlikely to “clam up” if we support them using male-friendly methods. This acronym / apronym consists of five points:
A – Anger: Here we are encouraged to see that when men display anger and/or irritability, it can be a sign of stress and depression.
C – Comfortable: Here the reader is encouraged to find out what support methods are comfortable for the man.
L – Life events: Consider what may be going on in the man’s life that he might be struggling with. These might be issues that you might not guess would be particularly difficult, such as feeling frustrated at work, or having child access problems after family breakdown.
A – Activities: Here we see how ‘doing’ rather than ‘talking’ may be preferable and more comfortable for some men. For example, some men can talk more openly when they are kicking around a football with friends.
M – Myth: The reader is encouraged to see the man as a person, not as a product of patriarchy, or someone who is being held back by masculinity. Although the narratives around patriarchy and masculinity are common, in reality they might not help as much as just trying to understand the man and support him in practical ways.
RAISE
Another acronym regarding men’s mental health is RAISE. This is the creation of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) which highlights the signs of depression in men.
R – Risk/taking
A – Anger
I – Isolation
S – Substance abuse
E – Exhaustion
As John Barry highlights in his 2023 article, it is positive to see the document highlighting how depression in males can be expressed differently in comparison to depression in females, and at the same time, it is disappointing that the document could be seen as victim-blaming because masculinity appears to be referenced as a barrier rather than a potential resource that could be utilised to help boys and men. It is a crying shame that in 2023, organisations still struggle to consider - and in some cases flatly refuse to consider - how masculinity can help boys and men tackle their problems.
CHAPS
The final acronym I would like to draw attention to is one I created. CHAPS was devised to help practitioners consider how they could adapt their practice to make it more inclusive or accessible to boys and men using male-friendly methods supported by a range of research and a wealth of literature.
The following is an excerpt from my book ‘The Sexual Abuse of Boys and Men; Creating an Approach for Neglected Victims,’ where I highlight the CHAPS acronym:
C - Communicate using male friendly language
H - Humour/banter appropriately used
A - Action oreintated language/approaches
P – Psychoeducation
S - Solution focused
Communication – Communicate with male victims using male-friendly terms, and action-orientated language linked to archetypal masculinity. For example, “Coming to therapy means you’re taking action, tackling your problems and taking control.”
Humour – Use banter and appropriate humour with male victims. For example, “No, I don’t have a long couch that you have to lie on. I know I’m losing my hair, but I think I’ve got a long way to go before I look like Sigmund Freud.”
Action – Adopt an action-orientated approach with male victims involving action-orientated language, walking while talking movement, focusing on task, problem-solving and practical strategies.
Psychoeducation – Use psychoeducation with male victims, for example, the role of testosterone, male biology, the fight/flight/freeze response.
Solution – Adopt a solution-focused approach with male victims, for example, “You’ve identified the problem, so what needs to happen for the problem to be solved?”
I have worked with abused boys and men for over 19 years, and as someone who used to rigidly think that masculinity was bad, a wealth of literature challenged my thinking and helped me to develop a healthier and more informed view that not only developed my approach to working with abused boys and men, but also continued towards abused boys and men gaining positive outcomes from therapy.
In conclusion, you might say that even though acronyms can be overused and are confusing if you are not familiar with them, they can be a useful mnemonic device – like A CLAM or CHAPS – that can help you to remember a list of useful information when you need it.
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Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, legal advice, or other professional opinion. Never disregard such advice because of this article or anything else you have read from the Centre for Male Psychology. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of, or are endorsed by, The Centre for Male Psychology, and we cannot be held responsible for these views. Read our full disclaimer here.
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Phil Mitchell
Phil Mitchell is a senior accredited counsellor and psychotherapist and trainer and has over 19 years’ experience specialising in working with boys and men who have experienced recent and/or historic abuse in all its forms. You can follow Phil on Twitter, visit his website and find his book here on Amazon.