Facts about Men’s Mental Health and Barriers to Seeking Help.

Facts about Men’s Mental Health

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, men are less likely to receive formal mental health support of any kind. This can be one of the reasons behind the fact that males are more likely to die by suicide at twice the rate of females (WHO). More often than not, the problem might lie in the fact that there are a lot of harmful stereotypes and misconceptions that confine men to certain standards and therefore, discourage them from being as open about their mental health conditions. In this article, I want to talk about some of the key facts that are important pieces of knowledge needed to fully understand men’s mental health. Additionally, we are also going to examine some of the barriers that hinder their ability to seek help.

• Men are less likely to seek help when they are struggling. This is because of the stigma spread by harmful stereotypes that expect men to be stoic in the face of emotions.
• Men present with different depressive symptoms than women. As opposed to women who experience emotional distress, men go through bouts of aggression, irritability and violent outbursts.
• Men are more likely to turn to substance abuse when dealing with mental health struggles. This is because they feel the need to mask their struggles with substances as opposed to opening up about them.
• Men are three times more likely to die by suicide compared to women. This is because men use more lethal methods of attempting suicide compared to women. The methods they use are usually more effective in causing death.
• Men are likely to experience depressive episodes as new fathers. This is due to changes in testosterone levels that lead to mood changes and eventually, depression.
• Men face discrimination and judgment when they open up about their struggles. They present as weak and shameless to other men who still conform with the typical stereotypes and thus, they end up bullied for coming out.
• Men exhibit physical symptoms of mental health struggles. These symptoms show through headaches, general body aches, and fatigue.
• Men have positive coping mechanisms for their mental health struggles compared to women. As much as they are unable to talk about their struggles, they redirect their minds through exercising, eating healthy, and humor.
• Men also exhibit eating disorders and body image issues. These are issues that are linked more with women, but a quarter of the total population dealing with eating disorders are men.

Barriers to seeking help

1. Men struggle to define their mental health challenges. Most men find it difficult to recognize and express their mental health struggles due to the stereotypes that discourage vulnerability. They have gotten used to suppressing their emotions and therefore, when mental health conditions arise, they are unable to articulate themselves. This brings about shame and makes it harder to talk about their well-being.
2. Masculinity stereotypes discourage mental health support. These stereotypes have been around for a long time and generally dictate what men should do and how they should act. They expect men to be strong and reliable, discouraging them from showing any kind of vulnerability. Due to this, men are less likely to come forward when they need support in dealing with their mental health struggles.
3. Symptoms of mental health conditions sometimes present differently in men. Unlike women, men have more externalized symptoms of depression, stress, or anxiety. These symptoms could present as irritability, aggression, violent outbursts, and hyperactivity. Since they are the opposite of what presents as a mental health condition, they can be brushed off as typical male behavior. This leads to men being unable to be diagnosed correctly.
4. Men are likely to turn to substance use instead of seeking help. With the perpetuated harmful norms that suppress men, they tend to turn to alcohol and drugs as coping mechanisms for their emotional and mental struggles. These substances provide temporary relief from their symptoms but without the proper support, their issues keep on getting worse.

Knowing all of the facts about men’s mental health ensures that we are informed on what is true and actively share the right information. It is also important to understand the barriers that often affect the ability of men to seek help so that we can figure out countermeasures to establish better support systems based on their unique needs. It is up to us to build a society that welcomes emotional vulnerability in men and promotes healthy living for them.

By Jeanine Akinyi