men and mental health

Overview

Taken from the The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While mental illnesses affect both men and women, the prevalence of mental illnesses in men is often lower than women. Men with mental illnesses are also less likely to have received mental health treatment than women in the past year. However, men are more likely to die by suicide than women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recognizing the signs that you or someone you love may have a mental disorder is the first step toward getting treatment. The earlier that treatment begins, the more effective it can be.

Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Learn more about taking care of your mental health.

Warning Signs

Men and women can develop most of the same mental disorders and conditions but may experience different symptoms. Some symptoms include:

  • Anger, irritability, or aggressiveness

  • Noticeable changes in mood, energy level, or appetite

  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much

  • Difficulty concentrating, feeling restless, or on edge

  • Increased worry or feeling stressed

  • Misuse of alcohol and/or drugs

  • Sadness or hopelessness

  • Suicidal thoughts

  • Feeling flat or having trouble feeling positive emotions

  • Engaging in high-risk activities

  • Aches, headaches, digestive problems without a clear cause

  • Obsessive thinking or compulsive behavior

  • Thoughts or behaviors that interfere with work, family, or social life

  • Unusual thinking or behaviors that concern other people

Mental disorders can be treated: If you are unsure where to go for help, ask your family doctor or visit NIMH’s Help for Mental Illnesses webpage. Communicating well with your health care provider can improve your care and help you both make good choices about your health. Read about tips to help prepare and get the most out of your visit. For additional resources, including questions to ask your health care provider, visit the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

If you or someone you know is in a crisis, get help immediately. You can call 911 or call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Featured Health Topics and Resources on The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

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Some of the mental disorders affecting men include:

Here we debunk the top myths around men’s mental health that are doing a grave disservice to men, everywhere.

MYTH 1: Most male suicide is linked to depression

Many people know the alarmingly high rates of male suicide.

If you didn’t, men are – on average – three times more likely to take their own lives than women.

But did you know that most male suicides are not linked to a mental health diagnosis?

While nearly half (46.5%) of female suicides are correlated with clinical depression, fewer than a third of male suicides (32.8%) are linked to this mental disorder.

So what are the reasons behind the crisis that is male suicide? While men simply not being diagnosed could play a factor, most male suicides are linked to various distressing life events, including:

  • Relationship separation (28.3%)

  • Financial problems (17%)

  • Relationship conflict (15.7%)

  • Bereavement (12.3%)

  • Recent or pending unemployment (10.5%)

  • Familial conflict (9.5%)

  • Pending legal matters (9%)

MYTH 2: Men are horrible at getting help

Bottling up their emotions. Unable to open up and reach out for help.

This is the typical narrative we hear around men’s mental health.

And there may be some truth in this. We know that girls are two times more likely than boys to access formal support through school, online support, health services and helplines.

On top of this, girls are more likely to seek informal support from friends, parents and teachers.

So what’s the catch? Well, according to the Australia Bureau of Statistics, men – as adults – aren’t actually as bad at getting help.

Here are some stats that might surprise you:

  • The number of men with mental disorders who visit a psychologist is almost identical to women:1% for men and 13.2% for women

  • The proportion of women with a mental disorder who don’t access help is only slightly higher than that of men:8% for women and 13.2% for men

  • More women than men (with mental disorders) say they aren’t getting the help they need: 9% for women and 25.2% for men

MYTH 3: Men don’t have many positive coping strategies

We’ve already busted the myth that men don’t reach out for help that much.

But another tale that’s often told? Men with depression don’t have enough coping strategies.

This is far from true.

In fact, here are the top strategies men use to keep themselves feeling okay (that don’t involve talking):

  1. Eating healthy food (54.2% do this regularly)

  2. Keeping busy (50.1%)

  3. Exercising (44.9%)

  4. Using humor to reframe thoughts and feelings (41.1%)

  5. Doing something to help another person (35.7%)

  6. Spending time with a pet (34.8%)

  7. Accepting sad feelings (This too shall pass’) (32.7%)

  8. Achieving something (big or small) (31%)

  9. Hanging out with positive people (30.8%)

  10. Distracting themselves from negative thoughts and feelings (30.5%)

MYTH 4: Girls have more mental health issues than boys

With the common assumption that girls are more proactive and vocal about their mental health struggles, comes the myth that girls have more mental health issues than boys.

But the statistics tell a different story.

In 2019, the Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing found that boys (aged 4 to 17) were more likely to experience mental disorders than girls. There was a bigger discrepancy in children aged 4 to 11 (16.5% for boys and 10.6% of girls) than in children aged 12 to 17 (15.9% of boys and 12.8% of girls).

It’s more complex than a mere comparison though. Boys have more of a tendency to ’act out’. They often behave more boisterously than girls, externalizing their problems.

Girls, on the other hand, often present as more withdrawn, speaking to their tendency to internalize.

We can see this pattern reflected in mental health disorders in children:

  • Boys comprise 72.1% of children with ADHD

  • Boys comprise 62.7% of children with Conduct Disorders

  • Girls represent around 75% of reported self-harm

  • Girls represent around 70% of reported suicidal thinking

So as we can see, it’s more nuanced than a simple compare and contrast.

MYTH 5: Only mothers experience postnatal depression

We’ve come so far in opening up the conversation around postnatal depression for mothers – and ensuring women receive the support they need.

But when it comes to new fathers? The conversation falls mute. We fail to provide the same amount of proactive care to new dads that we do to mums. And this is a missed opportunity to engage men in conversations about mental wellbeing.

That’s why people like Mark Williams, an international expert on paternal mental health, has called for all new dads to be screened (like mums are). Mark also launched the #HowAreYouDad campaign to start the dialogue on this important – yet overlooked – topic.

Because it goes beyond new fathers getting the support they need. Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle, Richard Fletcher, says that a dad’s mental health impacts children and mothers too.

Not having adequate partner support is a risk factor for maternal depression. Research also shows that a child with a depressed father is three times more likely to suffer behavior problems than a child with a healthy father– and has twice the chance of a psychiatric diagnosis at seven years old.

So when we support dads, we benefit everyone. It’s a win-win.

It’s time to get real … and real facts.