Men's Mental Health: A Different Struggle

When it comes to men and our mental health, the numbers tell a sobering story. Nearly one in ten men experience depression or anxiety, yet fewer than half will receive treatment. In fact, six million men are affected by depression each year, are two to three more times likely to struggle with substance use, and are almost four times more likely to die by suicide than women. 

But many of us continue to suffer in silence and that suffering often looks different. Depression in men doesn’t always show up as sadness. It can present as anger, irritability, risk taking, or burying ourselves in our work to avoid feeling anything at all. We go to great lengths to check out, numb out, and tell ourselves we will just deal with it later. But avoiding treatment often makes the problem worse.  

Why Men Don't Ask for Help

A lot of men learned at a very young age that being a man means being strong, holding in your emotions, staying in control, and handling your own problems. Asking for help was admitting weakness and these expectations of masculinity have proven to be a powerful barrier to receiving support. We are less likely to talk to even our closest friends, relatives, and romantic partners about our struggles, more likely to turn to drugs and alcohol, and willing to wait until everything is at the breaking point before reaching out. Cultural stigmas have created a devastating cycle of avoidance and self-isolation.

The Cost of Loneliness

Curiously, men don’t report that they feel lonely more often or have fewer close friends than women. However, only 38% of men turn to a friend for emotional support, compared to 54% of women. Men seem to have friends they can hang with, but not reliable support they can lean on. So, men have been turning to other sources.  

Two-thirds of young men regularly engage with masculinity influencers online. These influencers say they are here to help and offer simple, tiktok-bite-size answers to complex problems: blame women, reclaim your masculine dominance, and embrace hate. Young men turn to these spaces for support and belonging but report higher levels of worthlessness and anxiety, end up deprioritizing their mental health, and are increasingly exposed to misogynistic and extremist content.

The “manosphere” is toxic and dangerous.  It normalizes violence against women and has documented links to radicalization and real-world harm. Young men are seeking role models and are instead being exploited by predators who profit from their pain. Young men need genuine supportive care and guidance. 

What Men May Actually Need

The good news is men do seek help when it's accessible, engaging, and feels relevant to their lives. Some men may be worried that therapy means sitting in a sterile office and being forced to talk about things they don’t want to talk about. We need therapy that is inviting and accepting of our needs and experiences. We require practical tools, real strategies, and someone who understands what we are dealing with.

Effective therapy for men means:

  • Building concrete skills you can use right away

  • Understanding your emotions using your own words

  • Taking meaningful action that actually changes your life

  • Having space to be real without judgment

How Mindfulness and Therapy Help

Mindfulness-based approaches can be particularly effective for men. Learning mindfulness based skills helps men across different ages and backgrounds experience less anxiety and rumination, build better emotional regulation, and improve self-control. Mindfulness helps us notice what's happening in our bodies and mind so we can respond intentionally instead of just reacting on auto-pilot.

Therapy is where we start to build the skills of mindful awareness. Therapy creates a space to explore what you are thinking and feeling, build connections, and learn skills to handle stress, improve relationships, and live your best life. Therapy may not instantly make you feel better, but it will help you get better at feeling. You deserve this opportunity. 

Want to Learn More?

Check out these resources for men's mental health:

Sources

This page draws from research published by the Mental Health Foundation, the American Journal of Men's Health, Pew Research Center, King's College London's Global Institute for Women's Leadership, and peer-reviewed studies on mindfulness-based interventions.

References:

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