Men’s mental health goes unnoticed or is not taken seriously. Not only are men expected to handle tough situations by themselves, but they are seen as “less” if they communicate their struggles. With this stigma, men are more hesitant to ask for help when in need and thus having a feeling acting alone. This in turn would result in substance abuse and violent behaviors.

With over 6 million American men experiencing mental health issues, they are 4 times more likely to commit suicide than women. During the 2020 pandemic, the rate at which men requesting mental health services had increased 5 fold from the previous year, yet only 40% of men who had been reported to have a mental illness actually received remediation by 2021.

With this in mind, over 60% of men who committed suicide had access to mental health services the previous year. This resulted from various factors like; providers mislabeling/underestimating their needs, misdiagnosing psychological problems based on gender biases, or lack of genuine interest.

Together we can help those in need; to effectively communicate their struggles and to know how to differentiate stress from depression.

Sources: (Copy and Paste into browser)

https://www.aamc.org/news/men-and-mental-health-what-are-we-missing

https://cface.chass.ncsu.edu/news/2024/06/13/june-is-mens-mental-health-awareness-month/#:~:text=Furthermore%2C%20approximately%206%20million%20American,Mental%20Health%20America%2C%202024).