Read, Man! An ethnographic investigation of Shared Reading as mental health promotion for newly retired men

Background
Retirement is a life phase that brings about significant structural and social changes. Although the transition to retirement poses potential challenges for both men and women, men are particularly exposed to risks of ill mental health, social isolation, and meaning-loss when retiring. This tendency is part of a general decrease in men’s health and well-being in the Western world that has occasioned an increased focus on men’s health and well-being, with a growing body of research calling for a need for health promotion interventions targeting men. However, initiatives specifically addressing newly retired men and the issues related to the transition to retirement are sparse and may require different approaches to promoting mental health than those applied in more conventional health initiatives. Research investigating the potential benefits of Shared Reading (SR) has found positive effects on various aspects of mental health for various social groups. However, the effects of SR on newly retired men have not been explored, and the underlying mechanisms of SR practices for promoting mental health and well-being have not been investigated in depth.

On this basis, the study aimed to provide in-depth knowledge on the mechanisms and potential impact of SR as mental health promotion. The study has investigated the links between collective reading and mental health and looked into how collective literary practices may contribute to mental health promotion among newly retired men. The study was based on an SR intervention consisting of reading groups for men in and around the transition to retirement. The study consists of three sub-studies that have investigated: men’s reflections on meaning in life, the contexts in which questions of meaning arise, and the dominant themes involved in men’s meaning-making in their transition to retirement (Article 1); collective dimensions of the SR experience and how they impact on newly retired men’s positive mental health (Article 2); and the role of and potential mechanisms for a sense of equality in SR practices for newly retired men (Article 3). 

Methods
The study is an ethnographic exploration of an SR intervention in Denmark. The intervention consisted of four onsite and four online SR groups with a total of 53 participants. The groups consisted of 3-10 participants and lasted 10-12 weeks, with weekly sessions of 1.5-2 hours. Data collection was carried out through 40 baseline interviews, 15 concluding interviews and four group interviews with participants, eight concluding interviews with reading guides, and participant observation in all eight groups. Further, material consisting of eight reading guide logbooks, audio recordings of selected SR sessions, and field notes were collected and processed. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and all empirical material was coded in the qualitative data analysis program NVivo.

Findings
Article 1 suggested that work is a significant source of meaning for men, providing social engagement, a sense of contribution, and structure in their everyday lives. In this light, the transition to retirement, although representing a new beginning, is also associated with loss and uncertainty, bringing about a sense of ambivalence and disruption of meaning. On this basis, it was established that meaning in life is an important aspect of the mental health and well-being of newly retired men and should be a focus in mental health promotion efforts. This provided background for the study’s further investigations into the potential of SR as a mental health promotion intervention for newly retired men, as reported in Articles 2 and 3. Article 2 found that SR holds the potential to promote certain aspects of the mental health of newly retired men, namely affective well-being, meaning-making, and a sense of community. It is suggested that SR may provide a particularly relevant intervention for newly retired men in providing a rare space for shared reflection and affective, existential, and social engagement but that this potential is not particular to newly retired men and that SR may be used in mental health promotion efforts across differences in age, gender, and social status. Insights from Article 2 into the social dynamics of SR prompted an exploration of sense of equality in SR, which was the focus of Article 3. Here, it was found that SR promotes a sense of equality by encouraging social interactions and relatedness that revolve around lived experiences, as conveyed by and through literary texts, rather than social roles. A sense of equality may also be promoted in other arts interventions, but facilitation is critical to ensuring the forms of engagement with SR and the arts that may evoke a sense of equality.

Conclusion
This study has explored a different approach to promoting the mental health and well-being of newly retired men in Denmark. It suggests that SR could be an effective way to engage newly retired men in health promotion. Further, it indicates that SR and the arts, more generally, may promote social inclusion and change through aesthetic engagement, particularly for vulnerable groups. As such, it may be a relevant approach to addressing social inequality on individual and community levels. The study provides a knowledge basis for investigating the specific mental health and social effects of SR and new perspectives on how SR may engage men in health promotion and address men’s mental health and well-being. Further, the study's findings may provide input into the debate about how to approach public health issues in a meaningful and sustainable way from a broader societal perspective.