Mental health is being discussed more now than ever before. It’s encouraging to see more people opening up about their mental health and educating ourselves to better understand and support one another.
Shining a supportive light on men’s mental health is particularly important, because men often don’t feel they can reach out for the support they need.
Picture caption: Things we need to normalise for men…
- Asking for help
- Going to therapy
- Sharing feelings
- Feeling emotions
- Being comforted
How can mental health such as depression effect men differently?
It’s important to understand that there are some differences between how mental health effects men and woman. Men are more likely to experience sudden anger or irritability as well as risk-taking or increased loss of control. Men might also use alcohol or drugs if they’re despressed rather than reaching out to talk.
Some sobering figures from the Office for National Statistics in 2023:
- There were 5,656 suicides, an increase of more than 372 than the year prior.
- The male suicide rate was 17.1% per 100,000. The female rate was 5.6%. That’s a staggering difference!
- It was found that males between 40 and 49 were found to have the highest suicide rate – 25.3% per 100,000.
There remains a stigma within Society about men’s mental health which continues to make it difficult for men and boys to reach out for support. Many men still feel like having a mental health condition is seen as a weakness and that they’re expected to hide their emotions, “man up”, and be strong for others around them.
It’s important we all continue to challenge the ongoing stigma that men don’t require mental health support. Be a safe space for the men in your life to talk openly about their mental health, and if you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or any other mental health concerns, you are not alone and there are places you can reach out to for support. That might be a family member or friend. There are also organisations you can turn to for support. I’ve listed a few below:
