Exploring the impact of cultural and masculine norms on the mental health of Arabic-speaking migrant and refugee men in Australia: Service provider perspectives

Background Arabic-speaking refugee and migrant men in Australia likely experience unique mental health challenges due to a complex interplay of migration, cultural factors, and acculturation. Understanding how acculturation-related stressors interact with traditional gender roles and familial expectations to influence mental health and help-seeking is crucial for developing culturally responsive mental health interventions. Objectives This qualitative reflexive thematic analysis investigated community service providers' perspectives on Arabic-speaking refugee and migrant men's mental health challenges. Methods Forty-one in-depth interviews were conducted via Zoom with community service providers, including settlement workers, mental health professionals, and religious leaders, from August to October 2023. Results . Service providers described men's post-settlement distress as arising through three related themes: acculturation challenges (cultural adjustment, identity disruption, stigmatising narratives of mental illness); shifting family dynamics (disrupted provider roles, eroded paternal authority); and struggles for belonging (social isolation, diminished recognition). Conclusion This study shows that providers linked these men's mental health to the pressures of settling into a new culture, the loss of their role as providers and authority figures at home, changes in family life, difficulty finding suitable work, and isolation from community. How much each of these affected a man depended on his work and standing before migration, his education, his religion, and how he came to Australia. Culturally responsive support should avoid treating this group as homogeneous and, where relevant, attend to factors such as role loss, social recognition, family renegotiation, stigma, and the role of social support in shaping mental health.