‘Man up.’; ‘Be strong.’; ‘Men don’t cry.’ Those are just some of the things men are told when they even think about sharing their emotions. 

     According to nimh.nih.gov, the “prevalence of any mental illness was higher among females than males.” However, healthline.com makes the claim that the data may reflect a higher percentage of women experiencing mental illness as higher “because men aren’t opening up and reaching out.”

     Healthline.com also added that in 2021, “51.7% of women” and “40% of men” received support from mental health services. Now, consider this data from cdc.gov: In 2021, deaths by suicide for males reached 38,358, and the number of female deaths by suicide was 9,825.

     According to ncbi.mnl.nih.gov, “depression and suicide are ranked as a leading cause of death among men.” A stigma surrounding men’s mental health is a tug of war battle that grows and shrinks every day. After being told that emotions make them weak, men then neglect to reach out and ask for help. 

     Anyone can have an opinion on this topic, because in the end, the mental health of every single person affects everyone equally. So why should a person’s gender affect the help they are allowed to receive? 

     Simple answer is that it shouldn’t. Yes, the resources for everyone to get help are always there and are broadcasted as available for men. That is not the issue. What can be fixed is the stigma that is stopping men from using these resources. 

     Men are stereotypically expected to behave as “strong, quiet, resilient, and tough,” according to sageclinic.org. These traits that have been generalized as the way men should act, and they stand in the way of men seeking out help. 

     Traditional masculine norms in society are the culprit that can lead men down a path of never seeking out help. According to ncbi.mnl.nih.gov, men following society’s masculine norms can lead to, “worsening depression and anxiety” and  “discouragement in seeking help.”

     Anyone can fear weakness, most likely everyone fears being viewed as weak if they talk about emotions. But, making conclusions from the various statistics about deaths by suicide and how many men and women receive mental health support services, paints a clear picture. 

     Cultural pressures from society are the blockades that stop them from reaching out and getting the help they deserve. Sure, go spend more money on billboards, and directing 30-second ads to spread awareness for the topic; but what is this really doing? How can this issue truly be changed? How can this stigma fall away to clear a path that allows men to not feel weak when they experience non-stereotypical “manly” emotions? 

     A quick search online asking, “How to combat men’s mental health stigma?” leads to solutions that seem so simple, yet are so far off from working. Answers appear such as, ‘encourage men to talk about mental health,’ and ‘talking openly’ about issues. These are easier said than done, and that is where the issue is. For years, these have been the solutions to mental health issues among people of all genders. 

     Letting these simple solutions live as the answer will not be sufficient enough as time goes on, there has to be a change.