Young men’s experiences of living with existential concerns: “living close to a bottomless darkness”

Abstract

Introduction Young men may struggle in life with challenges of various concerns about their identity and who they want to be in life. Many health issues arise from social norms and wider societal determinations and for today’s young men, following such norms poses a risk of losing oneself. An essential part of health are connected to the existential dimensions in life and concerns who you are, and how well you know and understand yourself. However; little is known about what it means for young men to live a life with existential concerns. Purpose and method The purpose of this phenomenological study, based on reflective lifeworld research (RLR), is to describe young men’s experiences of living with existential concerns for which they have sought support. Eight lifeworld interviews were conducted. Results The results essentially show that young men living with existential concerns describe their situations as living close to a bottomless darkness. This is further described according to four constituents: enduring everyday life, striving for a solution, hearing an inner self-critical voice, and wearing a hard shell. Conclusion We conclude that strengthening young men’s health processes requires healthcare professionals to create an atmosphere where young men feel safe talking about existential concerns without feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Keywords

• existential concerns
• reflective lifeworld research
• phenomenology
• qualitative research
• young men
• young adults