What comes to mind when you think of October? If you are anything like me, you pictured taking trips to the cider mill, college football tailgates, and spooky Halloween decorations. While all these activities are fun, one important thing to take note of this October is World Mental Health Day. This holiday is celebrated every year on October 10th. The objective is to generate awareness of mental health issues and encourage people to take collective action in supporting mental health. This year’s theme is ‘mental health for all.’ As a society, when we talk about mental health, we tend to forget about men even though they suffer symptoms at a similar rate as women. According to Mental Health America, data shows that more than six million men suffer from depression and more than three million suffer from anxiety. Although men and women suffer symptoms at a similar rate, depression and suicide are a leading cause of death among men. According to a 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) report, men are three times more likely to die by suicide. These statistics are alarming, and even more so when you consider that men are less likely than women to receive help.
I believe the stigma surrounding men’s mental health is a major reason why men do not reach out for support. Traditional social norms have defined men and women a certain way, and men are not supposed to be emotional. This masculinity ideology has been defined as “a particular constellation of standards that have held sway over large segments of the population, including: anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, adventure, risk, and violence.” This ideology has a negative impact on mental health because it puts pressure on men to always be strong. Once boys reach a certain age, they are raised to be detached from emotional pain because expressing emotion is seen as a feminine trait. This outdated perception is problematic because boys start to suppress their emotions. In my opinion, this is a major reason for the substance abuse amongst men. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, men are almost 2.5 times more likely to die from alcohol-related causes. They are also two to three times more likely to misuse drugs. Instead of seeking the proper support, men are turning to these unhealthy coping mechanisms. As a society, we have been ignoring these stigmas and it is literally costing people their lives. We need to end the stigmas and talk about it.
Articles to read:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/mens-mental-health-man-up-is-not-the-answer
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/how-can-we-reduce-mens-mental-health-stigma
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/22/us/toxic-masculinity.html