The American Psychological Association’s new guidelines on working with men and boys caused a media storm in the past month, because they endorsed the view that “traditional masculinity is psychologically harmful”.

As with the now infamous Gillette ad, the guidelines have deeply divided opinion along binary gender political lines, with one side saying the APA is “harming men and boys” and the other side saying the guidelines will “literally save lives” and dismissing critics as "armchair psychologists".

The American Psychological Association has developed 10 guidelines to help practitioners working with boys and men.

The guidelines cover a range of issues and encourage psychologists to deepen their awareness, knowledge and skills in key areas, including the nature of masculinity, traditional gender roles and cultural diversity.