June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. So, how are men doing?
Well, unfortunately things could be better. Despite all our progress in other health arenas, there is still significant stigma and misunderstanding surrounding male mental health. Current American expectations still dictate that men should be stoic and self-reliant- think John Dutton (Kevin Costner) from Yellowstone. This naturally leads to a reluctance to seek help. This stigma is amplified by Western stereotypes of masculinity, which equate vulnerability and emotional transparency with weakness. As a result, many men internalize their struggles, leading to feelings of isolation and hopelessness and increased risk for suicide.
The pressure for men to engage in substance use, whether through social drinking, nicotine pouches, or recreational drugs only fuels male mental health challenges and suicide risk. These rituals are powerfully reinforced at football games, basketball courts, casinos, and golf courses. Emotional pain is masked rather than addressed. This avoidance leads to depression, anxiety, and substance dependency, further complicating the male mental health landscape. It’s no surprise that we see much higher numbers of substance abuse among American men than women.
But it’s not all bad. There are things we can do to help. Here are two of my ideas to encourage emotional expression and mental health support for men:
1. Normalizing Emotional Transparency
Encouraging men to express their emotions openly can help dismantle antiquated stereotypes surrounding masculinity. By promoting emotional literacy and vulnerability, we can validate and reinforce the concept that seeking help and sharing feelings is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Film and Media have a powerful role in re-shaping this narrative. There are some great shows portraying “manly” men expressing healthy emotional vulnerability. In the early 2000s, HBO blazed this trail in the hit series The Sopranos, where we followed the ultra-masculine New Jersey Mafia boss Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) eight-year therapy appointments with the famous therapist, Dr. Melfi (Lorraine Bracco). In 2011, this was followed by the popular show Suits, which followed the ruthless, confident, high-power lawyer Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) seeking psychotherapy for panic attacks. In HBO’s latest blockbuster show The Last of Us, the male protagonist hero Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) sees a rather unconventional therapist (Catherine O’Hara) to explore and resolve his past emotional trauma. Each show is an intimate reminder that masculinity and power can be combined with emotional vulnerability to create a richer, more meaningful, and healthier human experience. We need more of this.
2. Advocating for Mental Health Awareness
Engaging and funding community and early education programs that focus on mental health education can help reduce stigma before it even starts. Movember is just one of many wonderful community-based groups promoting mental health awareness for men. Check it out. By raising awareness about the importance of mental health among females and males from an early age, we can create a new generation of Americans who view proactive mental health support and treatment as a sign of strength and maturity, regardless of gender or gender orientation.
Globally, on average one man dies by suicide every minute of every day. And sadly, this is likely an underestimate, as many suicides in men go unreported or misreported, for the stigma reasons mentioned above. Suicide rates in men are twice as high as they are in women. I include these bleak statistics not to discourage or sadden you, but to motivate you. Even one suicide is one too many. Change is possible. Prevention is very doable.
We can choose to create supportive environments and promote healthy male role models-role models (both real life and on screen) who prioritize mental health and seek help with strength versus shame. We can embrace vulnerability. We can foster and promote new male-male sober connections. We can pave the way for a healthier, happier, more emotionally resilient generation of men. And in doing all this, or even just a little bit of this, we can save many lives.
