In today’s world, mental health is promoted and spoken about in various different ways. Although society is more open to discussions of mental health and wellbeing, many people still find it difficult to open up to others about their feelings and sadly some who do face judgement. Stigma and judgement are issues which particularly effect men’s mental health and lead to a lack of men seeking professional help or support when they are feeling low.
American research found that one in ten men experience depression and anxiety, yet less than half of those men got any treatment or support. Another study discovered that 49% of men feel more depressed than they admit to the important people in their lives. So men are less likely to talk to a professional or to share how they feel with a friend or family member. Perhaps the most striking fact about men’s mental health is that men are three times more likely to die by suicide. In fact, on average, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day. All of this research is connected, it tells us that without seeking help or support, many men suffer in silence and this may be one reason why they face a higher suicide rate.
These struggles are preventable and if we work together to build awareness and acceptance in our society we can positively change our society as well as the statistics.
What is Stigma?
Stigma is a negative or discriminatory attitude that people have against someone because of something in their person, qualities or a particular circumstance. With mental health, stigma often involves using negative labels to identify people are different. This negative attitude often makes people feel ashamed or embarrassed, although they have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. In the past, men were told they needed to be strong and tough so showing emotions or vulnerability was considered a sign of weakness. Some men believe that they must be “tough enough” or “strong enough” to never need to ask for help. This outdated idea has been spread across so many cultures that it effects men in many diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Stigma is still the reason many men do not seek help or support or their emotions and often the reason they feel they cannot speak the their friends or the other men around them.
Now, men have designated websites, helplines and charities which are dedicated to mental health. Charities like Movember, work to spread the word about men’s health and suicide prevention through fun and inspiring fundraising, encouraging men to grow out their moustaches every November as way to raise recognition of men’s health. Society has begun to break down these old ideals, yet there is still a lot more work we can do to eliminate it completely. To do this, we need to all allow a transparency around mental health and seeking support. Stigma is built on a lack of knowledge and understanding so having honest conversations about experiencing stress, anxiety or low moods allows everyone to see that these are elements of the human experience. We all share these experiences so we can all help each other to work through them.
Asking for Help
Some men often think that asking for help is a sign of weakness but it is the opposite. It can be difficult to open up to people about how you’re feeling, whether you know that person or whether they’re a stranger. Just remember that the hardest conversation will always be the first, once you’ve had that initial discussion about how you feel, it will get easier. This is the same if you’re reaching out to a helpline or making an appointment with a professional, the first conversation is always the hardest. Never forget, it takes great strength to reach out for support.
If someone you care about is coming to you with a problem, all you need to do is show them that you’re there to listen to them and let them know you care about them. Don’t think that you need to have all the answers to help them, the most important thing you can do is listen. It is likely that someone you know is experiencing feelings of depression or anxiety and you have the power to make a difference in their life by starting a conversation about mental health.
Educating yourself is also a brilliant tool for support. There are so many reliable sources and websites that you can use to learn about your mental health and gain information on any issues you might be having. You could try looking on sites like PsychCentral.com or SpunOut.ie. Learning about mental health and sharing the information that we learn will help break stigma and promote a deeper understanding of mental health.
How are Men Different?
Everyone is different so people can experience different symptoms with the same mental health issues. This is true with depression, men are more likely to try to hide their emotions. Rather than expressing sadness, men may seem more angry, irritable and may even engage in reckless or dangerous behaviours.
Depression is more than just a feeling of sadness, it also causes physical symptoms like increased heart rate, headaches and digestive problems. Men are more likely to see a doctor about their physical symptoms rather than any emotional problems they feel. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs is also common amongst men and can be very dangerous. Alcohol may numb emotions and feelings in the short term but in the long term it leads to many people feeling worse.
It’s important to remember that depression, and other mental health conditions, are treatable. You can get help and you can feel better, you don’t have to struggle alone.
If you would like to check out some sites for men’s mental health, try
Heads Up Guys – headsupguys.org is Canadian website, set up to support men with depression. It provides brilliant information, tools and support services.
Movember – movember.com shares information and tools for men’s health
It is always important to look after your mental health, it should never be sacrificed because of prejudice or old ideals of masculinity. If you yourself would like to speak to someone, or you know someone who might be in need of some support, there are dedicated helplines and services you can contact
Samaritans – 116 123
Pieta House – 1800 247 247
Text About It – text HELLO to 50808 for 24/7 support
