Brotherhood: The Role of Men’s Groups in Reducing Loneliness and Fostering Connection
Faculty Mentor
Soenke Biermann
Major/Area of Research
Psychology; Interdisciplinary Studies, Global Studies
Description
INTRODUCTION: Loneliness is a growing public health concern with severe effects on mental and physical health, including an increased mortality risk comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Although solutions-based research is vast, evidence on their long-term effectiveness remains limited. To address this gap, I undertook a case study in Bali, Indonesia to examine whether long-term participation in emotionally open men’s groups offers a sustainable solution to loneliness. While loneliness affects everyone, my research focuses on men because they face under-addressed loneliness issues. Men underuse formal health services due to social stigma and masculine norms, making men’s groups a potentially acceptable and accessible alternative.
METHOD: I conducted research via fifteen semi-structured interviews with men who regularly participated in a men’s groups, field observations while attending a men’s group, and reflexive journaling. Data was analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis informed by Self-Determination Theory and Social Identity Theory.
RESULTS: Five key themes emerged: (1) structural safety enables vulnerability and connection through intentional design and psychological safety; (2) male-specific space facilitates masculine vulnerability often suppressed by societal norms; (3) vulnerable sharing and witnessing transform isolation into connection; (4) sustained participation builds internalized belonging that persists in solitude; and (5) participation develops relational competence, transforming the experience of solitude itself.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that accessible men’s groups offer a replicable model for reducing loneliness in men and addressing SDT needs, with benefits extending into family, work and community life. This study lays a foundation for further developing men’s groups as a sustainable intervention for loneliness that communities, community leaders, and individuals could create and sustain themselves.
Brotherhood: The Role of Men’s Groups in Reducing Loneliness and Fostering Connection
INTRODUCTION: Loneliness is a growing public health concern with severe effects on mental and physical health, including an increased mortality risk comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Although solutions-based research is vast, evidence on their long-term effectiveness remains limited. To address this gap, I undertook a case study in Bali, Indonesia to examine whether long-term participation in emotionally open men’s groups offers a sustainable solution to loneliness. While loneliness affects everyone, my research focuses on men because they face under-addressed loneliness issues. Men underuse formal health services due to social stigma and masculine norms, making men’s groups a potentially acceptable and accessible alternative.
METHOD: I conducted research via fifteen semi-structured interviews with men who regularly participated in a men’s groups, field observations while attending a men’s group, and reflexive journaling. Data was analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis informed by Self-Determination Theory and Social Identity Theory.
RESULTS: Five key themes emerged: (1) structural safety enables vulnerability and connection through intentional design and psychological safety; (2) male-specific space facilitates masculine vulnerability often suppressed by societal norms; (3) vulnerable sharing and witnessing transform isolation into connection; (4) sustained participation builds internalized belonging that persists in solitude; and (5) participation develops relational competence, transforming the experience of solitude itself.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that accessible men’s groups offer a replicable model for reducing loneliness in men and addressing SDT needs, with benefits extending into family, work and community life. This study lays a foundation for further developing men’s groups as a sustainable intervention for loneliness that communities, community leaders, and individuals could create and sustain themselves.