Psychological Benefits and Costs of Participating in Men’s Groups in the Czech Republic

Category created from the answers	Percentage of answers	Examples of answers
(a) Safe area for sharing inner experiences	44	“When I discovered, that we are on the same boat, asking similar questions, struggling similar fights, I started to see my problems in a different way. Men are a real support for me.” “The possibility to share my spiritual life with others. My losses, my falls, but also my pleasures.”
(b) Support from others	37	“I am looking here for support and patterns how to be a good man, husband and father.” “Support from men who are on the right track in their families, parishes, and in the society.”
(c) Help in the faith	21	“I am strengthened by the praying with other men. We give over our anxieties and weaknesses to God and He really changes them.” “Common men’s prayer has its own depth, which I admire the most.”
(d) Broadening of horizons	11	“A new perspective on myself and in my life.” “The group drives me to think deeply about things which I didn’t pay attention to them before.”
(e) Maturation of men’s role	7	“The group helps me to understand, what it means to be a man in the context of Christianity. I find myself obliged to play the role of the father and the husband in the same time.” “I better understand my role, my mission – what it means to be a man, a husband, a father.”
(f) Relaxation	5	“Rest. I draw on strength and lightness of life.” “It gives me a rest from everyday problems and work and it helps me to give more strength and hope in my life.”
(g) Capacity to be self-contained	4	“I became more self-contained – I feel I am more grounded.” “I am more self-confident in my work and also in my life.”
(h) No special benefit	1	“I cannot see any important benefit.” “Because of participating in the group for more than ten years I sometimes do not see the fulfilment of attendance of the group.”

[i] Note: The percentages sum up to more than 100% because some answers could be assigned to more than one category.

Table 2

Categories and examples from answers to question two.

Category created	Percentage of answers	Examples of answers
(a) Broadening of horizons	17	“The difference is in my ability to perceive the events and people around me. Before I accepted all the events unconsciously, as something obvious, but nowadays I feel more humble.” “I am interested in everything related to life and this widens my horizons.”
(b) Support from others	15	“The difference is big. I feel fulfilled, I get to know other men’s lives, we are now in together, we try support each other. I did not experience that before.” “I perceive the difference in everything, mostly I feel, I am not longer alone against my problems. My wife is a support for me, but she cannot help me in everything. Now I can come to the group and ask for a pray, a help or an advise.”
(c) Personal growth	13	“I feel a bigger inner peace in myself.” “The community is important for my personal growth.”
(d) Safe area for sharing inner experiences	13	“When I didn’t attend the group, I went through a period when I missed being part of a community where I could share myself. I was not able to express, what I felt. The group allows me to do this. I can share myself with people who understand me.” “The difference is that I know now that all men have similar problems, worries, joys, hopes. I am not alone. Their example, encouragement, advice is a great benefit to me.”
(e) Help in the faith	10	“Increase in the faith and the trust of the real God’s presence in our lives.” “Now I can experience God through the community more than I ever did.”
(f) Capacity to be self-contained	10	“I try hard to be more myself, any pretense is not necessary. I fight with failures and lack of success, I am more humble.” “I used to succumb to anxiety, fear, which was related to my life tasks or church. I gained courage, decisiveness to contribute to positive things.”
(g) Maturation of men’s role	6	“A man has been born in me – in the past I missed the masculine patterns.” “I am subjectively more the man – perhaps I understand myself and other men better now.”
(h) Change to the better	6	“Personal growth.” “I feel I have found something I was missing, something I have found in my core.”
(i) Difficult comparing	3	“In my case the conversion to Christianity was made at the same time as I started to visit the men’s group. So it is difficult to compare.” “I do not know how to describe the difference. There is the difference, but there are also other circumstances. So I do not know how to describe it precisely.”
(j) No perceived difference	3	“I cannot see any difference on my own.” “The group does not influence me so much.”
(k) “I do not know.”	3	“I do not know yet.” “I cannot specify it.”

Table 3

Categories and examples from answers to question three.

Category created	Percentage of answers	Examples of answers
(a) Missing better themes for the discussion	17	“Sometimes there is ‘a fake theme’ followed by ‘a fake discussion,’ what makes me really bored.” “I miss more actual themes: education of the children, problems with work.…”
(b) Missing the genuine sharing	11	“I miss higher tolerance in the discussion.” “I miss more genuine sharing – that everyone tells how he understands the topics we discuss.”
(c) Missing the maintenance of the discipline	9	“I miss the discipline during speaking (length).” “I probably miss stricter rules which would finish the discussion before it changed into chatting.”
(d) Missing other activities out of the group	8	“I miss some joint activity - work, voluntary work…” “I would appreciate other forms of our meetings, as weekend spent together, trip etc.”
(e) Missing more men in the group	4	“I miss some of my friends here.” “I miss some men here – but I have probably no chance to change it.”
(f) Missing more relaxation	4	“I miss some time just for talking.” “I miss more relaxation.”
(g) Missing better relationships	4	“We do not help each other much.” “I miss more mutual relationships and friendships.”
(h) Missing the participation of more men in planning and organization	3	“I would appreciate if more people were willing to involve in preparation of the program.” “I wish members would feel more responsibility for the program of the meeting so they would take a part in its preparation.”
(i) Missing the presence of the priest in the group	2	“A visit of a good priest.” “A presence of the priest.”
(j) Missing music	2	“Meditation songs (taize).” “Perhaps more songs. Songs allow us to praise the Lord in a special way – I admire it.”
(k) Missing beating drums	2	“Beating drums.” “I miss beating drums– most of the members do not like it.”
(l) Missing more enthusiasm	1	“The group needs more enthusiasm and joy – we used to meet in the evening and we are too tired now.” “For the last 2–3 years I feel some tiredness and exhaustion. In the first years of group’s existence it was something great.”
(m) Missing women	1	“Although we are a men’s group, sometimes I miss a feminine element (i. m. sometimes the presence of women).”
(n) Judging is difficult	6	“I cannot express an overall judgement of my time in the group. At every meeting the atmosphere is different and I feel differently.” “I cannot express it.”
(o) Nothing important	11	“Actually I do not find anything. I do not think we miss something.” “I do not know. I think the groups fulfil my expectations.”

Table 4

Categories and examples from answers to question four.

Category created	Percentage of answers	Examples of answers
(a) Lack of the genuine sharing	16	“Phrases or speaking about ‘nothing’ bothers me.” “We often miss the sharing. We discuss common themes like the Church or politics…, but we do not speak about our real lives.”
(b) Monologues of some members	9	“I am bothered when somebody does not respect his given time for sharing.” “I am bothered by talkative people and by their self-centeredness.”
(c) Indiscipline	8	“I am bothered by bad time keeping by some members.” “I am bothered by the irregular attendance of some members.”
(d) Tiredness because of the late beginning	6	“I am bothered by my tiredness, late return home and sometimes uselessly stretched out theme for discussion.” “The meetings are scheduled too late.”
(e) Passivity	4	“I am bothered of the passivity of some members.” “I expect more activity from others.”
(f) Discussed themes	4	“Sometimes it is only about theory.” “I miss clearer specification of the theme of the meeting.”
(g) Bad relationships	3	“There is a too little time scheduled for personal discussion.” “Sometimes I am bothered by the behavior of somebody in the group.”
(h) Own weaknesses	2	“Our weaknesses.” “Sometimes I create difficulties for myself.”
(i) Embrace	1	“I am an introvert and sometimes physical contact (embrace) bothers me.” “Nevertheless I feel honest relationships I do not need to embrace anybody.”
(j) Logistical problems	1	“Sometimes the group takes place on the other side of the town and it takes too long to get there.” “I cannot host the group at my flat – the neighbors would be angry because of beating drums and without beating there is something missing.”
(k) Absence of the group	1	“I do not like when the group does not meet.”
(l) Difficult to express	1	“I cannot judge it yet.” “I cannot express it.”
(i) Nothing bothers	11	“I find nothing annoying.” “I do not have any objections. I thing we complete each other very well.”

Table 5

Categories and examples from answers to question five.

Category created from the answers	Percentage of answers	Examples of answers
(a) Giving up free time and relaxes	30	“Sleeping and the comfort of home.” “Probably only sleep….”
(b) Giving up time with family	17	“Family time.” “There is one more evening for my wife when she has to look after our children just on her own.”
(c) Positive benefit of membership despite giving up free time or time with family	12	“I give up some home time, but it is worth it. My wife understands it and it is very important for me that she tolerates, or perhaps even likes it.” “I am not with my family, but my wife and my son understands, and they are looking forward to my return. I find it beneficial for all of us.”
(d) Giving up time with family, which makes difficulties	9	“I give up my time with my wife and my children. If there is not a good atmosphere at home, I miss the group.” “It is always difficult decision – to leave my wife and children or to miss the meeting… I know I am needed at home and it would be a difficult evening for my wife. Because of this I do not attend regularly.”
(e) Giving up other activities	8	“I cannot pursue my hobby.” “I miss time which could be spent with other friends, but it is only a matter of time management.”
(f) Missing own attitudes	2	“I miss my pride and my narcissism.” “I miss my childish fear.”
(g) Difficult to express	1	“It is difficult to express.”
(h) Nothing important	11	“There is nothing important that I miss.” “Nothing important.”