Five Things That Negatively Impact Male Mental Health the Most

Statistically, men are less often diagnosed with depression than women, and yet are more likely to commit suicide. There is something important about male mental health that lurks in the gap between these two facts: that men are seemingly less depressed than women, but take their own lives in far greater numbers every year.

This disparity raises the question: “Why is it that more men are dealing with depression but not talking about it? Why do more men not seek help when they experience depression?”

Many men suffer silently because they simply don’t have the vocabulary to describe their struggle, while others are just trying to get by without having to ask for help. Men have been raised to believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness, or sold lies about masculinity and mental health. However, the truth of God’s Word will ultimately set men free if they can learn to tune into the right “voices” and obtain correct information.

No man wants to feel impotent or victimized, but the truth is that men do struggle. Being a man does not mean being on par with gods and angels. They bleed, they get hurt, life affects them, and it is only when men acknowledge that they’re stuck or struggling that they can find the help they need to heal or move on.

Maybe it’s time to address the shame and fear that have been holding men back, assess the situation they’re in, and talk to each other about the struggle. In this way, men can begin to make progress as men and as individuals by talking privately and openly with a trusted friend, or even accessing the power of a group of men sharing similar experiences.

You are never truly alone unless you want to be. Jesus Himself was an example of not carrying a burden alone. He shared the challenges he faced with His disciples openly and lovingly, and they responded to Him in kind.

Individuals and the Collective

For the most part, men have been taught that vulnerability is a kind of weakness. To be masculine is to be “strong,” and to be “strong” equates to handling life’s difficulties on their own.

From the youngest age, men are taught that boys don’t cry and that any emotion other than anger and apathy is for the weak. Even the milder depictions of masculinity that were modeled were sometimes toxic, if only because they were built on incomplete understandings of male mental health.

Boys do cry, show hurt, sadness, tenderness, and affection, along with the whole range of human emotions. So do men. Men are mentally, emotionally, and physically complex by design, and that is an important and powerful part of God’s design. Besides this, men are all individuals with unique experiences, insights, skills, and traumas.

Only when people begin to understand and accept men as individuals can we begin to figure out where each of us fits into the collective. There might be some broad cultural ideals that men are expected to meet, but we will each reach these goals by taking our own unique paths to them.

The man who uses his hands to build houses in the village is no less valuable than the man who plants crops and flowers, and no less valuable than the disabled man who is only able to tell stories and speak sense to the next generation.

In the same way, men who show more masculine physical traits and/or limited emotional expression could learn from men around them that there are many benefits to softer, more sensitive emotions, which they often avoid. Each man has different roles, unique struggles, personal pressure points, and each of these things determines value as individuals first and as men second.

At the end of the day, each man is responsible for himself, his spouse or partner, and his family. Some men’s greatest achievement in life is that they are patient and kind toward others, and generous and loving toward themselves as well, even while maintaining ordinary jobs and receiving minimum wage.

Five Things That Negatively Impact Male Mental Health

Regardless of your unique skills, personality, or life experiences, as a man, you will face one or more of the following struggles, statistically speaking. Male mental health is affected by a collection of similar struggles that seem to reach across generations and cultures.

These are the things that we must face head-on, be vocal and honest about as we navigate them, and find our way of getting through them to avoid being part of the tragic statistics. Unfortunately, there is no road map or blueprint for how to get through this stuff. Each man must do his best, help his brothers, accept help from those who love him, and keep going.

Unemployment and Work Struggles

The one aspect of life where men draw our worth from the most is our contribution to society. Men know that if we don’t work, we don’t eat; that’s just how the world works. Sadly, life isn’t just as simple as finding a well-paying job and doing that until retirement.

Sometimes it takes decades to find something that they enjoy doing and are good at, and even then, the job market is so unstable that they aren’t guaranteed employment, a healthy work environment, or a manageable workload.

Few things negatively impact male mental health more than unemployment, especially when it lasts for months and years. Criticism and harsh words around this situation can often cut the deepest in a man’s security in a relationship and his self-image.

At the core, men not only need security and stability, but also to know that they are making a valuable contribution somewhere. They need to know that they are seen and appreciated, even as they struggle. It is not weak or shameful to need to feel valued; in fact, it is a sign that they see their own value.

Money Problems

Men work to contribute something valuable, but also to find financial stability. They might not be able to find a job that offers both, but if they can’t at least find a way to put food on the table and pay bills, their mental health will plummet in a sea of anxiety and fear. When there is the added pressure of having a family to provide for, the strain of not making enough money is enough to sink any man’s health.

Relationship Issues

God said right at the start that it wasn’t good for man to be alone. Many men have learned to cope well with being on their own, but for those with marriages and families, nothing is more tumultuous than a family torn apart by divorce or separation.

Male mental health is often at its lowest when there is a dramatic change in the family and a lack of social support through these changes. Regardless of the cause of these struggles, no man can navigate these experiences alone, and some don’t make it through these struggles alive.

Isolation

Men are more likely to try to cope privately and silently with their problems. Many grew up with fathers who were fixers, who never asked for help and who never modeled vulnerability and humility. Male mental health suffers most in stubborn silence and in isolation.

If you find yourself without a decent support system or without people to talk to or listen to your experiences, make changes as soon as possible. Having even a single confidant or trusted friend can make all the difference to male mental health.

Stigma

Perhaps you are trying to navigate life alone because that’s what was expected of you. That is the case for many men. Here’s the thing about stereotypes and toxic masculinity, though: it kills. If you have spent your entire life internalizing your struggles and externalizing your aggression, you have missed out on some of the most fundamental experiences of being a man.

Brotherhood, vulnerability, accountability, and humility are all vital aspects of masculinity, yet many are bound by misguided, cruel, and damaged depictions of manhood. Lies will keep you bound in fear, but the truth will release you to be the best version of yourself possible.

Discover Better Mental Health

If you have never asked for help or opened up about your struggles, this is your challenge to do so. The idea of opening up to someone might fill you with dread, and you might not even have the language to describe what you are going through. Counselors and therapists are impartial, patient, and non-judgmental third parties who provide a safe space in which you can be completely honest.

You can start by consulting our online catalog of counselors, where you will hopefully find someone suitable, or you may ask our reception team to help connect you with someone. You no longer have to struggle alone; there is someone out there who will listen without judgment.