Table 1.

Summary of Included Articles.

Author (year); country	Study design	Male-centered design?	Workplace-based?	Sample (% men)	Number of male participants	Intervention	Outcome measures	Main Findings
Abbott et al. (2009) Australia	RCT	No	Yes	Industrial sales managers (87% men)	46	Resilience Online (ROL): Online resilience training based on cognitive therapy (self-paced over a 10-week period)	Work performance, happiness/quality of life, distress	Participants found the program to be enjoyable, but it did not improve work performance, happiness, or lower distress relative to a control group
Ando (2011) Japan	Pre-post assessment intervention group compared to control, but not randomized	No	No	University students (38% men)	85	Intervention based on the Successful Self Program: Prevention intervention to promote self-understanding and interpersonal interaction. Students in the intervention received 11 weekly sessions (90 min each) as part of a university credit class. Each class included a lecture on adolescence followed by introduction of a skill and worksheets to practice skills and problem solving in groups. The control group included students enrolled in a class with only lectures on adolescent psychosocial development	Self-efficacy, anxiety, self-control	Male university students in the intervention increased self-efficacy from Time1 to Time 2, although those in the control group did not. Male students in both groups decreased tension/anxiety, and increased anger/hostility
Battaglia et al. (2015) Italy	RCT	No	No	Prison population (100% men)	64	Cardiovascular plus resistance training (CRT) and High-intensity strength training (HIST) exercise: 9 months of supervised fitness training twice a week for 1 hr	Psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, etc.)	Both exercise programs had significant positive effects on inmates’ well-being relative to controls and the cardiovascular and resistance program was more effective
Bilderbeck et al. (2013) UK	RCT	No	No	Prison population (95% men)	155	Yoga: 10-weeks (once a week for 2 hrs) of yoga classes, including relaxation training (e.g., breathing methods)	Impulsiveness, positive and negative affect, perceived stress, psychological distress, and behavioral response inhibition (Go/No-Go task)	The yoga treatment group displayed increased positive emotion, lower perceived stress, lower psychological stress, and improved performance on the cognitive-behavioral task at follow-up compared to the control group
Bormann et al. (2006) Unites States	Qualitative (interview following a 5-week mantram training program)	No	No	Veterans and hospital employees (Veterans sample was 97% men)	29	Mantram program: A 5-week course (1.5 hrs per week) involving group training with mantram repetition (i.e., silently repeating a word or phrase to relax) developed by the US Veterans Administration	Self-reported usefulness of mantram training for stress management	Overall, the group of men (veterans) found mantram training to be an acceptable and useful technique for managing stress
Bughi et al. (2006) Unites States	Pre-post	No	No	Medical students (55% men)	57	Brief Behavioral Intervention Program (BBIP): One lecture on stress emphasizing stress relieving techniques and group demonstration (deep diaphragmatic breathing, self-control relaxation, walking mediation). Students were instructed to apply the methods 3–4 times a day for the rest of their one-month rotation	Anxiety, stress, and positive well-being (general well-being scale)	Anxiety was lower and positive well-being higher following the Brief Behavioral Intervention Program
Cooper et al. (2015) UK	Descriptive pilot project	Yes	No	Participants recruited from the community (87% men)	54	Adapted Boot Room project: A one-time session that included motivational interviewing and brief intervention; attracting men through sport; removing stigma by having former players discuss their mental preparation and how they dealt with the ups and downs of winning and losing	Number of men who attended sessions, number of referrals to services, open-ended feedback about session	Number attending sessions (54 men, and 8 women) exceeded expectations, and in general the group displayed symptoms of depression. Seven followed up to access support services. Attendees’ open-ended responses indicated the session was well-received/acceptable to men
Daubenmier et al. (2007) United States	Pre-post	No	No	Patients with coronary heart disease (66% men)	576	Multisite Cardiac Lifestyle Intervention Program (MCLIP): A health insurance-based lifestyle intervention program focused on stress management, exercise, diet, and social support. Patients attended the program twice a week for 3 months, and the program included educational lectures, supervised exercise, cooking demonstrations, healthy food and social support	Many outcomes (e.g., related to exercise & diet), but the psychosocial variables were depressive symptoms, hostility, and perceived stress	The psychosocial outcomes were improved at 6 month follow-up. The authors were able to explore the contribution of the program components and found that increased stress management was associated with decreased hostility and increased exercise led to decreases in stress
Fildes et al. (2010) Australia	Qualitative (pre-, mid- and end-point interviews)	Yes	No	Unemployed men age 41–62 (100% men)	15	The Building Healthy Men Project (BHMP): Participation in a men’s shed with group-focused projects for 2 years	Sense of purpose, self-worth and self confidence	Men reported an increase in health and wellness (sense of purpose, self-worth and confidence) as a result of participating in the men’s shed
Geisner et al. (2006) Unites States	RCT	No	No	College students at risk for depression (30% men)	53	Brief mailed intervention for depressed mood: Brief mailed feedback about student’s depressive symptoms along with suggestions for coping	Depression, hopelessness, willingness to use coping strategies	The intervention reduced depressive symptoms and hopelessness and increased willingness to use coping strategies among men
Hirokawa et al. (2012) Japan	RCT	No	Yes	Hospital staff (30% men)	27	Stress management program: One, 3-hr group session focused on: Stress management, relaxation training, and assertive training	Active coping, assertive behavior, and stress reduction	Men in the intervention group showed increased assertiveness and active coping compared to those in the control group
Jarman et al. (2015) Australia	Repeated cross-sectional surveys	No	Yes	A diverse pool of public sector employees from 14 government departments (e.g., health, education, fire services) (28% men)	161	Healthy@Work: Comprehensive workplace health promotion program, which included mental health and well-being	Job stress (effort-reward imbalance)	Reported participation in workplace health promotion initiatives doubled between 2010 and 2013. Higher participation in workplace health promotion initiative was associated with lower effort among men
Kim et al. (2016) Korea	RCT	No	No	Distressed college students (100% men)	84	Integrated Stress Management Program (ISMP): Eight, 2-hr sessions over a 4-week period focused on stress management strategies	Life stress for college students, psychological distress, ways of coping checklist, and plasma cortisol	College life stress and distress both decreased significantly. Stress coping and plasma cortisol were unchanged
Kobayashi et al. (2008) Japan	RCT	No	Yes	Large manufacturing enterprise with 45 worksites (including engineering, clerical, and research departments) (91% men)	956	Mental Health Action Checklist for a Better Workplace Environment (MHACL): A checklist with 30 action items meant to improve work environments for better employee mental health was implemented as a group-based employee participation initiative	Job stress, psychological distress, sick days	No significant effect of the program among men (but it was effective for women)
Limm et al. (2011) Germany	RCT	No	Yes	Management employees (100% men)	174	Stress Management Intervention (SMI): A 2-day stress management workshop, followed by 2 sessions within the next 8 months. Included cognitive-behavioral techniques	Stress reactivity, effort-reward imbalance, anxiety and depression (self-reported), and biological stress indicators (cortisol & x-amylase)	Self-reported stress was decreased more in the intervention group compared to the control group; no difference in cortisol, but x-amylase decreased more in intervention group. Depression, anxiety, and effort-reward imbalance were in the right direction, but not statistically significant
Matt et al. (2006) Unites States	Pre-post (with additional follow-up)	No	No	Hard-to-employ persons (54% men)	614	Support and Training Result in Valuable Employees (STRIVE): A 3-week program (Mon-Fri for 8 hrs per day) with in-class training to boost job-ready skills along with support services (e.g., counseling). The program aims to improve self-efficacy, self-esteem, and a sense of control	Self-efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, depression, anxiety, and employment status	Self-efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, and depression scores were all improved post-program. No significant change in anxiety
Mattila et al. (2006) Finland	Pre-post questionnaires and comparison to 2 control groups, as well as follow-up qualitative interviews	No	Yes	A male-dominated municipal public works department (80% men)	423	Work conference method: A 2-day work conference focused on improving psychosocial work environment and well-being of employees, followed by a half day follow-up session 6 months later	Psychosocial work environment (e.g., Job control, work climate, perceptions of supervisor support) and well-being (emotional exhaustion and stress)	The intervention had a positive effect on some psychosocial work variables controlling for gender, but no effect on well-being of participants. Participants expressed that the conference led to more openness, although the mandatory nature of participation was not well received
McArdle et al. (2012) Ireland	Qualitative-follow-up interviews and focus group	Yes	No	Men recruited from the community (100% men)	23	Back of the Net (BTN): A 10-week community mental health promotion program with guided self-help based on CBT and exercise (football/soccer). CBT techniques were reinforced during group discussions during breaks out on the field, with a different theme each week (e.g., relation, teamwork, goal setting, etc.)	Participant feedback about the program benefits (qualitative)	Participants reported that the program was enjoyable, and that it wouldn’t have worked to bring men together to discuss the weekly themes without the sport element to bring them together (though it didn’t have to be football). Participants also reported greater self-efficacy and social support
McGale et al. (2011) Ireland	RCT	Yes	No	Men recruited from the community (100% men)	104	Back of the Net (BTN): A 10-week (twice a week for 55 min) community mental health promotion program with guided self-help based on CBT and group exercise (football/soccer). A second group did individual, but supervised, aerobic and resistance training in a gym twice a week for 55 min for the 10 weeks, and a 3rd group (the control group) was instructed not to exercise for the 10 weeks. CBT techniques were included in the BTN group only, and consisted of a different theme each week (e.g., relation, teamwork, goal setting, etc.)	Depression, perceptions of social support, alcohol consumption, and heart rate	Both the BTN and “exercise alone” groups had decreased depression scores post intervention and at an 8-week follow-up, whereas the control group did not. Only the exercise (not the BTN) group had increased perceptions of social support
Nickel et al. (2007) Germany	RCT	No	No	Men with chronic occupational stress recruited through community advertisement (100% men)	72	Behavioral/Psycho-educational training (BTG): The BTG group attended 90 min group sessions focused on stress and stress management twice a week for 8 weeks	Stress: systolic blood pressure, salivary cortisol, chronic stress, anger, and health-related quality of life	The treatment group had significantly lower blood pressure, salivary cortisol, chronic stress, and anger scores at followed up compared to the control group, as well as higher health-related quality of life
Primack et al. (2010) United States	Pre-post and qualitative interviews (case study)	Yes	No	Men with depression recruited from the community (100% men)	6	The Men’s Stress Workshop: An 8-week (1.5 hrs per week) group treatment involving CBT, psycho-education, and discussions of men’s adherence to masculine norms, along with 2 individual sessions (an orientation and final feedback session)	Depression, social support, and self-stigma (i.e., conformity to masculine norms)	All 6 participants reported decreases in depression and increases in social support at follow-up compared to baseline. Self-stigma scores unexpectedly increased from pre-to-post workshop. Qualitative feedback suggested the men’s stress workshop was an acceptable and feasible treatment for men
Robinson et al. (2015) UK	Pre-post and qualitative interviews	Yes	No	Unemployed men age 45–60 (100% men)	53	The Mind Resilience pilot programme: The resilience pilot program was implemented in 5 different locations. The program length varied from 8 weeks to 6 months, and the activities included things like football, gardening, drumming and photography (depending on the location) and CBT/Psycho-education. Some were male-only groups, and others were mixed sex groups, but this manuscript focuses solely on the data from the men	Well-being, problem solving (self-efficacy), social support	Well-being, problem solving, and social support scores all increased significantly pre-to-post intervention among men, as did an overall combined score dubbed “perceived resilience.” Qualitative feedback from interviews with a subset of men (n=21) revealed aspects of the program and activities they liked
Rocha et al. (2012) Brazil	Pre-post	No	Yes	Brazilian military men (100% men)	36	Yoga Practice: The yoga practice group participated in two 60-min yoga classes per week in addition to two physical activity classes over a 6-month period. The control group attended four, 60-min physical activity classes during the same period	Depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms, short-and long-term memory (word recognition), and salivary cortisol	The yoga group had significantly decreased depression, anxiety, stress scores from baseline to follow-up and compared to the control group. In addition, the yoga group demonstrated higher performance on the memory recognition task and lower cortisol levels at follow-up compared to controls
Umanodan et al. (2009) Japan	Controlled trial, but workplaces were not randomly assigned to condition	No	Yes	Full-time employees from seven steel plants (88% men)	133	Stress Management Training (SMT): Six, 30-min multicomponent sessions focused on relaxation and stress management were delivered to employees during work time over a 6-month period (one session per month)	Stress knowledge, self-efficacy, psychological distress, physical complaints, and job performance	Employees in the stress management program had greater improvements in stress knowledge and self-efficacy compared to controls. When analyses included only employees that completed all 6 SMT sessions, improvements were also seen in distress and job performance
Weltman et al. (2014) United States	Pre-post and qualitative interviews (case study)	No	Yes	Police department personnel (officers and dispatchers) (71% men)	10	The Stress Resilience Training System (SRTS): The SRTS intervention included an initial 2-hr training session, 6 weeks of individual access to the SRTS app (including information on stress, heart rate variability biofeedback, and self-regulation techniques embedded in a game-based format), and four, 1-hr telephone coaching sessions over a 4-week period	Stress (organizational, emotional, and physical stress scales) was the primary outcome, but emotional vitality was also measured	Emotional vitality was significantly increased pre-to-post intervention, and physical stress significantly decreased. Open-ended feedback revealed that the participants were transferring the skills learned in the app to real-life (and the mentor feedback revealed that the telephone coaching assisted with this)

Note. RCT = randomized-controlled trial.