Breaking the Man Code

Testing the impact of ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshops on adolescent boys’ help-seeking, masculinity and suicide risk factors: A cluster randomised controlled trial.

This project will evaluate Tomorrow Man’s ‘Breaking the Man Code’ workshops. These workshops facilitate honest and authentic conversations with Year 10, 11 and 12 male students in order to define masculinity that ‘generates purpose, pride, and health for the men of today and tomorrow’. The project aims to determine the impacts of the workshops on male students. Specifically, we seek to determine whether the workshops have positive impacts on participants likelihood of seeking help for personal and emotional problems, the likelihood of recommending that others seek help, perceived social support, conformity to harmful masculine norms, wellbeing, and depression risk.

In partnership with Tomorrow Man, researchers will undertake a cluster randomised controlled trial wherein students will be assessed on a range of measures prior to the workshop and after the workshop. These students will then be compared to other students who are waiting to receive the workshop. Any differences noted between the two groups can then be attributed to the workshop. An economic evaluation will also determine the economic benefits of the workshops.