From Strong & Silent to Vulnerable & Supported: The Journey of Men’s Mental Health

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition that men’s mental health is a critical issue that needs to be addressed. Traditionally, men have been expected to be strong and silent when it comes to their emotions and mental health. However, this approach has been shown to cause more harm than good. Instead, we need to encourage men to be vulnerable and seek support when they need it.

The journey towards this new approach has been a long one. Historically, men have been expected to repress their emotions and be self-sufficient. This stems from societal norms that perpetuate toxic masculinity, where traits such as emotional detachment, aggression, and dominance are valued over more vulnerable emotions like sadness, empathy, and fear.

This expectation and pressure on men have resulted in high rates of suicide and depression. While women are more likely to seek help for mental health issues, men are more likely to suffer in silence, or worse, take their own lives. According to Mental Health America, men die by suicide three and a half times more often than women, and suicide is the seventh leading cause of death for males.

However, there has been a shift in attitudes towards men’s mental health in recent years. We are beginning to recognize that men need support and encouragement to be vulnerable, ask for help, and express their feelings. This change has been driven by many men speaking out about their experiences and advocating for greater support and recognition of men’s mental health issues.

One example is the #ItsOkayToTalk campaign, which encourages men to open up about their mental health. The campaign started after rugby player Luke Ambler lost his brother-in-law to suicide and found himself frustrated by the lack of support available for men. Ambler started the campaign on Facebook, and it quickly went viral, encouraging men to share their stories and seek support.

We have also seen an increase in mental health support services targeted at men, such as therapy groups specifically for men, men’s health hotlines, and online resources. These services recognize that traditional approaches to mental health support, such as talking therapy and counseling, have often been geared towards women and may not resonate with men.

Furthermore, we are seeing influential men in the public eye speak out about their experiences of mental health struggles. For example, Prince Harry has been candid about his own mental health struggles and launched the Heads Together campaign alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to promote mental health support.

In conclusion, the journey from strong and silent to vulnerable and supported is ongoing, but we are making progress. We need to continue to challenge toxic masculinity and encourage men to seek support when they need it. By providing tailored support services and spaces for men to be open and vulnerable, we can ensure that men’s mental health is recognized and supported.