Health and social care professionals views on engagement with working aged male carers

1. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey

We are interested in your professional experiences of supporting working-aged male unpaid carers (aged 18–66) either directly or indirectly through the work you do. This does not have to be intensive carer specific work, as your opinion matters across a range of areas.

The questions focus on how men perceive their caring role, its impact on health and wellbeing and their accessing of support. Your insights will help inform research and make recommendations for the development of more tailored and effective support services. All responses are anonymous and will be used for research purposes only.

This survey contains 10 open-ended questions and should take approximately 10–15 minutes to complete.

1. What is your professional role.

2. In your professional experience, how do male unpaid carers typically come to understand or accept their role as a “carer”?

Prompt: Are there common turning points or resistances to this recognition?

3. Have male carers expressed any specific attitudes about being labelled a “carer”?

Prompt: Do they embrace, resist, or redefine the term? Do you see this influence in the language they use, their behaviour, or their level of openness?

4. In your experience, how comfortable are male carers in talking about their own emotions and personal challenges related to their caring role?

Prompt: Are there specific topics they tend to avoid or reframe, do ideals around masculinity play an effect?

5. How do male carers typically engage with peer support (e.g., support groups, informal social networks)?

Prompt: What encourages or discourages participation in these settings?

6. Have you observed differences in how male carers respond to one-to-one support versus group-based support? If so, what are they?

Prompt: What formats tend to feel safer or more accessible to them?

7. Do male carers you support ever reference or speak about loneliness or social isolation directly, or does it emerge in other ways?

Prompt: What language or behaviours signal this even if it’s not named?

8. In your view, what role does loneliness and or social isolation play in the mental health and wellbeing of working-aged male carers?

Prompt: Can you describe any specific effects or consequences you’ve observed?

9. What have you found helpful and effective in encouraging male carers to open up about their experiences and emotional wellbeing?

Prompt: Are there particular approaches, settings, or language that help foster trust and openness?

10. Based on your experience, what do services need to better understand or change in order to meet the needs of male carers more effectively?

Prompt: What gaps or oversights currently exist in support provision for working-aged male unpaid carers?

Health and social care professionals views on engagement with working aged male carers

1. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey

1. What is your professional role.

2. In your professional experience, how do male unpaid carers typically come to understand or accept their role as a “carer”? Prompt: Are there common turning points or resistances to this recognition?

3. Have male carers expressed any specific attitudes about being labelled a “carer”? Prompt: Do they embrace, resist, or redefine the term? Do you see this influence in the language they use, their behaviour, or their level of openness?

4. In your experience, how comfortable are male carers in talking about their own emotions and personal challenges related to their caring role? Prompt: Are there specific topics they tend to avoid or reframe, do ideals around masculinity play an effect?

5. How do male carers typically engage with peer support (e.g., support groups, informal social networks)? Prompt: What encourages or discourages participation in these settings?

6. Have you observed differences in how male carers respond to one-to-one support versus group-based support? If so, what are they? Prompt: What formats tend to feel safer or more accessible to them?

7. Do male carers you support ever reference or speak about loneliness or social isolation directly, or does it emerge in other ways? Prompt: What language or behaviours signal this even if it’s not named?

8. In your view, what role does loneliness and or social isolation play in the mental health and wellbeing of working-aged male carers? Prompt: Can you describe any specific effects or consequences you’ve observed?

9. What have you found helpful and effective in encouraging male carers to open up about their experiences and emotional wellbeing? Prompt: Are there particular approaches, settings, or language that help foster trust and openness?

10. Based on your experience, what do services need to better understand or change in order to meet the needs of male carers more effectively? Prompt: What gaps or oversights currently exist in support provision for working-aged male unpaid carers?